UN Palestinian refugee agency confirms staff killed

12/9/2024 5:53

        The U.N. Palestinian refugee
        agency UNRWA said six staffers were killed after two airstrikes
        hit a school in central Gaza on Wednesday, marking what it said
        was the highest death toll among its staff in a single incident.
        
        "Among those killed was the manager of the UNRWA shelter and
        other team members providing assistance to displaced people,"
        UNRWA said on X.
        
        Earlier on Wednesday, the Israeli army said in a statement
        that it conducted a strike on a command and control center in
        Nuseirat in central Gaza, which it said was operated by
        Palestinian militant faction Hamas.
        
        "This school has been hit five times since the war began. It
        is home to around 12,000 displaced people, mainly women and
        children," UNRWA added.
        
        The Hamas-run government media office said the Israeli
        strike killed at least 18 people, including the UNRWA staff
        members.
        
        U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Reuters on
        Wednesday that a lack of accountability for the killing of
        United Nations staff and humanitarian aid workers in Gaza was
        "totally unacceptable".
        
        The Israeli military says it takes steps to reduce the risk
        of harm to civilians and that at least a third of the
        Palestinian fatalities in Gaza are militants. It accuses Hamas
        of using Palestinian civilians as human shields, which Hamas
        denies.
        
        The war was triggered on Oct. 7 when Hamas attacked Israel,
        killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to
        Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent assault on Gaza has killed
        more than 41,000 Palestinians, according to the enclave's health
        ministry.