Israeli Strike
GAZA: A foreign national working for the United Nations was killed, and at least five others were wounded—some critically—after an explosion struck a UN facility in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, the UN confirmed on Wednesday.
The attack, which occurred around 11:30 AM local time, has drawn international condemnation as an apparent breach of humanitarian protections.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, the deadly explosion was the result of an Israeli airstrike. However, the Israeli military has denied targeting any UN facility, stating in a formal statement that it did not strike a UN compound in Deir al-Balah.
The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry later confirmed that one of its citizens, who was working for the United Nations, lost his life in the attack. The ministry stated that further details would be made public once an official investigation determined the full circumstances of the incident.
Farhan Aziz Haq, the Deputy Spokesperson for the UN, stated in a press briefing that investigations were still underway to determine which party was responsible for the attack.
He emphasized that the UN personnel present at the site were not engaged in any operations involving unexploded ordnance at the time of the explosion.
Jorge Moreira da Silva, chief of the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), expressed deep concern over the attack, stating that the premises were well known to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and had been “deconflicted.”
He insisted that there was no ambiguity regarding the presence of UN personnel inside the building.
“This was not an accident; this was an incident,” Da Silva said, adding that additional information was still being collected. He confirmed that an explosive ordnance had detonated inside the facility, but it remained unclear whether it was caused by an airstrike, artillery shelling, or rocket fire.
The attack followed multiple strikes in the area over the past few days. Da Silva noted that Tuesday’s strikes had caused some damage to the compound, while Monday’s attack had resulted in a “near miss.”
Condemning the assault, Da Silva stressed that targeting humanitarian facilities is a violation 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 during this tragedy and devastation,” he said.
As Israeli forces continue their bombardment of Gaza, killing hundreds since Monday, tensions have escalated over the safety of humanitarian workers in the conflict zone.
The UN has called for an urgent investigation into the incident and has reiterated the need for all parties to uphold international humanitarian protections.
