Six UN Staff Killed or Injured in Gaza Airstrike... Israel Says "Not Us"

Ceasefire Agreement Expired on the 1st of This Month
Israeli Military Denies Airstrikes
UN Secretary-General: "Strong Condemnation, Calls for Thorough Investigation"

A United Nations staff member engaged in humanitarian relief activities in the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli military resumed airstrikes targeting the Palestinian armed group Hamas, was killed by an explosion of explosives. On the 19th (local time), Yonhap News Agency reported, citing a statement from the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), that one UN staff member died and five others were injured and receiving treatment while conducting relief work in a building in the Deir al-Balah area in central Gaza.

A United Nations staff member engaged in humanitarian aid activities in the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli military resumed airstrikes targeting the Palestinian armed group Hamas, was killed in an explosion caused by explosives. Photo by AFP and Yonhap News.

UNOPS explained that the casualties were caused by explosives. UNOPS stated that innocent victims resulted from explosives either falling from the sky or being launched into the building. Jorge Moreira da Silva, Director of UNOPS, said, "We are shocked by the news of the death of our staff member, and this was not an accident." He added, "Attacks on humanitarian facilities violate international law, and UN personnel and facilities must be protected by all parties."

However, the Israeli military denied having conducted airstrikes on the building. An Israeli military spokesperson told AFP, "Our forces did not conduct operations in the area where the UN facility is located, nor did we attack this area." United Nations Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres stated in a press release on the same day, "The locations of all UN facilities are known to the parties to the conflict, and the parties have an obligation under international law to protect these facilities and maintain their inviolability." He added, "We strongly condemn all attacks against UN personnel and call for a thorough investigation."

The first phase of the 42-day ceasefire agreed upon by Israel and Hamas expired on the 1st of this month. Both sides refrained from clashes for a while afterward, but the day before, Israel resumed full-scale attacks by striking about 80 locations in the Gaza Strip simultaneously. Reuters·Yonhap News

Meanwhile, according to a UN headquarters announcement, the number of UN staff members who have died since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023 has reached at least 280. Among them, the first phase of the 42-day ceasefire agreed upon by Israel and Hamas expired on the 1st of this month. Although both sides refrained from clashes for a while afterward, Israel resumed full-scale attacks yesterday by simultaneously striking about 80 locations in the Gaza Strip. The Gaza Strip Ministry of Health, governed by Hamas, announced that at least 400 people lost their lives due to Israeli airstrikes yesterday.