Israel denies responsibility for UN staffer’s death in Gaza strike
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Jerusalem: Israel has expressed "sorrow" over the death of a Bulgarian United Nations staff member in strikes on UN guesthouses in Gaza’s Deir al-Balah but denied responsibility, stating that an initial investigation found no Israeli involvement in the incident.
According to the United Nations, the deceased staffer, employed by the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), was killed when two UN facilities were struck. Five other personnel sustained serious injuries, Xinhua news agency reported.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein said a preliminary inquiry "found no connection" between Israeli military operations and the strike. “The circumstances of the incident are being investigated,” he added, emphasizing that Israel facilitated the evacuation of the victim’s body and the wounded from the site. The injured would receive treatment in Israeli hospitals, he confirmed in a post on social media platform X.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack, calling it a violation of international law. "All UN premises’ locations are known to parties to the conflict, who are obligated to protect them," a UN spokesperson said in a statement. Offering condolences to the victim’s family, Guterres noted that the death raised the number of UN staff killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023, to at least 280.
UNOPS chief Jorge Moreira da Silva asserted that the UN facilities were well-known to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and had been "deconflicted." He stressed that UN personnel were inside at the time of the strike. "This was not an accident, this was an incident," he told reporters, adding that additional information was being gathered.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Israeli military denied targeting the compounds. "Contrary to reports, the IDF did not target a UN facility in Deir al-Balah," it stated.
The incident took place amid Israel’s renewed military operations in Gaza, which officials say are focused on Hamas militants. Gaza health authorities reported more than 400 Palestinian deaths since Tuesday, including at least 170 children and 80 women, after Israel resumed strikes following a weeks-long ceasefire that began on January 19.
The Israeli military stated that its operations aimed to "eliminate Hamas threats" and would continue "until strategic objectives are achieved."
With IANS inputs