UN Calls for Investigation into Gaza Strike That Killed 1 UN Worker, Injured 5 Others

FILE PHOTO: Palestinians sit next to the rubble of houses destroyed in Israel's military offensive, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 7, 2024. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Palestinians sit next to the rubble of houses destroyed in Israel's military offensive, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 7, 2024. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem/File Photo
TT

UN Calls for Investigation into Gaza Strike That Killed 1 UN Worker, Injured 5 Others

FILE PHOTO: Palestinians sit next to the rubble of houses destroyed in Israel's military offensive, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 7, 2024. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Palestinians sit next to the rubble of houses destroyed in Israel's military offensive, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 7, 2024. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem/File Photo

The United Nations on Wednesday called for an investigation into a strike on two UN guest houses in Gaza that killed one of its workers and injured five others.

"The Secretary General strongly condemns all attacks on UN personnel and calls for a full investigation," Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General Farhan Haq said at a news conference. "He underscores that all conflicts must be conducted in a way that ensures civilians are respected and protected."

Haq said it's too early to determine who is responsible for dropping or firing the explosive ordinance at the accommodation sites housing the workers.

The UN said it had contacted the Israeli military after the first strike and confirmed that the military was aware of the facility’s location. Israel denies targeting the UN compound.

The UN Secretary-General condemned attacks on UN personnel and added in a statement from his spokesperson that all parties in Israel's attack on Gaza knew where the UN's premises were based.

"The Secretary-General was deeply saddened and shocked to learn of the death of a United Nations Office for Project Services staff member, when two UN guesthouses in Deir al-Balah were hit in strikes," a spokesperson for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wrote.

"The locations of all UN premises are known to the parties to the conflict, who are bound by international law to protect them and maintain their absolute inviolability," the statement continued.

"The Secretary-General sends his deepest condolences to the family of the staff member killed," he said, adding that at least 280 UN staff had been killed in Gaza since Oct 7, 2023.

Palestinians living close to the UN building said the facility had been struck multiple times by tank shelling in recent days.

Naief al-Lahham said the building was hit by tank shelling Tuesday evening, but it didn’t result in casualties.

On Wednesday morning, he heard two explosions minutes apart, he told the AP, adding that the attack came from an Israeli position just east of the building.

The explosion shook al-Lahham’s house, damaging its windows. He said he was lightly injured by pieces of glass.

 



Israeli Strikes on Gaza Kill at Least 27 Palestinians

Members of the Palestinian Civil Defense remove debris as they search for casualties at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip April 28, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
Members of the Palestinian Civil Defense remove debris as they search for casualties at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip April 28, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
TT

Israeli Strikes on Gaza Kill at Least 27 Palestinians

Members of the Palestinian Civil Defense remove debris as they search for casualties at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip April 28, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
Members of the Palestinian Civil Defense remove debris as they search for casualties at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip April 28, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled

Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip overnight into Monday killed at least 27 Palestinians, according to local health officials.
Israel has carried out daily strikes on Gaza since ending its ceasefire with Hamas last month. It has cut off the territory's 2 million Palestinians from all imports, including food and medicine, since the beginning of March in what it says is an attempt to pressure the militant group to release hostages.
The daily bombardment and widespread hunger is taking a heavy toll on Gaza's most vulnerable residents, including pregnant women and children.
An airstrike hit a home in Beit Lahiya, killing 10 people, including a Palestinian prisoner, Abdel-Fattah Abu Mahadi, who had been released as part of the ceasefire, The Associated Press reported. His wife, two of their children and a grandchild were also killed, according to the Indonesian Hospital, which received the bodies.
Another strike hit a home in Gaza City, killing seven people, including two women, according to the Gaza Health Ministry's emergency service. Two other people were wounded.
Late Sunday, a strike hit a home in the southern city of Khan Younis, killing at least 10 people, including five siblings as young as 4 years old, according to the Health Ministry. Two other children were killed along with their parents, according to Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies.