Tel Aviv: An Indian staff member who joined the United Nations a month ago to provide assistance in the embattled Gaza region lost his life when the vehicle he was traveling in to the hospital was hit by deadly artillery fire in the Khan Younis area, originating from the Rafah region. Waibhav Anil Kale (46) was a former Indian Army personnel.
Farhan Haq, Deputy spokesperson of the United Nations Secretary-General in a statement on Monday night announced the identity of the deceased aid worker. According to the statement of the UN official, Waibhav Anil Kale joined the United Nations as the security service coordinator a month ago in Gaza.
Sources in the UN agencies told IANS that Kale was travelling in a vehicle marked as that of the United Nations. However, the UN sources said that it was not unclear who fired at the vehicle in which Waibhav Anil Kale was travelling with another UN aid worker. This marks the first such UN death in the Gaza conflict.
The IDF has already said that it is probing the firing and the death of the UN aid worker. In a statement late Monday night, IDF said that the attack occurred in an active combat zone and that it was investigating the attack and death of the UN aid worker.
Source: IANS