Gaza: The UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) Wednesday condemned the killing of a UN staff member in a suspected Israeli strike in the central Gaza Strip.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini decried the killing of an employee of the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in a suspected Israeli airstrike that targeted one of the body’s buildings in Deir al-Balah as ‘another black day for the UN in Gaza.’ Lazzarini expressed condolences to colleagues at UNOPS for the tragic loss and extended wishes for a smooth recovery to injured colleagues on his X account.
He emphasized the importance of protecting humanitarian personnel and noted that the UN, including the UNRWA, continues to face significant challenges while fulfilling its humanitarian duties. The suspected Israeli airstrike resulted in at least five additional casualties, with several victims sustaining severe injuries.
Three of the injured UNOPS personnel were involved with the UN Mine Action Service Occupied Palestinian Territory program, while two were part of the UN 2720 Mechanism for Gaza, as stated by UNOPS. The renewed Israeli airstrikes followed the unilateral termination of a ceasefire agreement by Israel on Tuesday, March 18, leading to a series of airstrikes across the Strip and resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians, including over 100 children.
Medical sources reported that the death toll has reached 436, with 678 others wounded. Emergency teams are actively working to recover victims still trapped beneath the rubble. The resumption of aggression has raised concerns over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Strip, exacerbated by the ongoing siege and restrictions on the entry of medical and humanitarian aid.
Since October 2023, Israel’s military campaign in the Strip has resulted in the deaths of over 49,547 Palestinians, predominantly women and children, and left 112,719 others injured. Additionally, at least 10,000 people remain unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
The Israeli aggression has also led to the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from across the Gaza Strip, with the majority relocated to the densely populated southern city of Rafah near the Egyptian border, marking Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.