UN staff member killed in central Gaza blast, five others injured

The UN is verifying and confirming the details, including the circumstances that led up to the incident, but it was not due to “any action” that was being taken by UN personnel to remove “unexploded ordinance”, the head of the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) said during a press conference in Brussels.

According to media reports, the Israeli military – which has resumed deadly strikes in the Gaza Strip, killing hundreds since Monday – has denied attacking the compound.

“These premises were well known by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and they were ‘deconflicted’,” said, UNOPS chief Jorge Moreira da Silva, explaining that “everyone knew who was working inside the premises – it was UN personnel, UNOPS personnel.”

No accident

“This was not an accident, this was an incident,” he told journalists, adding that additional information is being collected.

“What we do know is that an explosive ordnance was dropped or fired at the infrastructure and detonated inside the building,” he said, adding it was unclear if it had been due to air-drop weapons, artillery or rocket fire.

Mr. da Silva stressed that attacks against humanitarian premises are a breach of international law.  

“UN personnel and its premises must be protected by all sides. The civilian population relies on the UN for lifesaving assistance, they are an essential lifeline at the time of utter tragedy and devastation,” he said.

Previous attacks

The incident took place at around 11:30 AM local time on Wednesday. It followed strikes on Tuesday that resulted in some damage, and “a near miss” on Monday, Mr. da Silva said.

The UNOPS building is situated in an “isolated area” in Dier al Balah.

More to come on this developing story…