UNRWA Condemns The Death Of UN Staff In Israeli Airstrikes In Gaza Strip

UNRWA Secretary General Philippe Lazzarini. (Twitter/@DohaForum)

JAKARTA - The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) on Wednesday condemned the killing of a UN staff member in an alleged Israeli attack on the central Gaza Strip.

UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini condemned the murder of a UN Office employee for Project Services (UNOPS) in an alleged Israeli airstrike targeting one of the agency's buildings in Deir al-Balah as another "dark day for the United Nations in Gaza."

"My condolences to our colleagues at UNOPS for the tragic loss and the hope that our injured colleagues will recover soon," wrote Lazzarini on his X account, launching WAFA March 20.

He stressed the need to protect humanitarian personnel at all times and noted that the United Nations, including UNRWA, continues to pay dearly when carrying out its humanitarian duties.

Israeli airstrikes that allegedly resulted in at least five additional casualties, some of whom were seriously injured.

Three injured UNOPS personnel are working to support the UN Mine Service program in the occupied Palestinian Territories. Two injured UNOPS personnel are working to support the UN 2720 Mechanism for Gaza, according to UNOPS statement.

Israel unilaterally ended the Gaza ceasefire agreement and continued its aggression in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, March 18, carrying out waves of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip and killing hundreds of Palestinians, including more than 100 children.

The death toll stood at 436 with 678 others injured, according to medical sources. An emergency team attempted to rescue victims who were still trapped under the rubble.

The aggression continued amid concerns over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, given the ongoing siege and the ban on the entry of medical and humanitarian aid.

The latest conflict in Gaza broke out on October 7, 2023, when a Palestinian militant group led by Hamas attacked Israel's southern region, killing about 1,200 people and causing 250 others to be held hostage according to Israeli calculations.

That was in response to a blockade, airstrikes, and ground operations by Israel. Until yesterday, Israeli military attacks in Gaza killed more than 49,547 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 112,719 others.

In addition, at least 10,000 people were unknown, allegedly killed under the rubble of their homes throughout the Gaza Strip.

Israel's aggression also resulted in the forced transfer of nearly two million people from across the Gaza Strip, with most refugees forced to the densely populated city of Rafah in the south near the border with Egypt in what has been the largest mass exodus of Palestine since Nakba 1948.