Tel Aviv : Six staff members of the UN agency were among those killed in Israeli airstrikes at a school-turned-shelter in Gaza, the United Nations said.
The six staffers belonged to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the agency that assists Palestine refugees.
At least 34 people were killed in the strikes, UN News reported citing media reports. UNRWA said the shelter manager and other team members were among the victims
"Just Tragic. #Gaza Six @UNRWA colleagues killed today when two airstrikes hit a school and its surroundings in Nuseirat in the middle areas," the UNRWA stated in a post on X.
"This is the highest death toll among our staff in a single incident. Among those killed was the manager of the UNRWA shelter and other team members providing assistance to displaced people. Sincere condolences to their families and loved ones. This school has been hit five times since the war began," it added.
The UNRWA school in Nuseirat, located in the Middle Area of the Gaza Strip, was sheltering around 12,000 displaced people, mainly women and children. This marked the fifth time that it had been hit since the conflict began 11 months ago.
Earlier on Wednesday, the United Nations said the site had been previously deconflicted with the Israeli forces.
UNRWA further called on all parties to the conflict to never use schools or the areas around them for military or fighting purposes.
"It is home to around 12,000 displaced people, mainly women and children. No one is safe in GazaNo one is spared.
Schools and other civilian infrastructure must be protected at all times, they are not a target. We call on all parties to the conflict to never use schools or the areas around them for military or fighting purposes," the post further stated.
UNRWA/status/1833967285171630128" rel="noopener" target="_blank">https://x.com/UNRWA/status/1833967285171630128
UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres deplored the killings and said these "dramatic violations of international humanitarian law" needs to stop.
"What's happening in Gaza is totally unacceptable. A school turned shelter for around 12,000 people was hit by Israeli airstrikes again today. Six of our @UNRWA colleagues are among those killed. These dramatic violations of international humanitarian law need to stop now," the UN chief stated in a post on X.
https://x.com/antonioguterres/status/1833999121205563532
UN Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini also deplored the killings and said that at least 220 UNRWA staff have been killed in this war. He further added that "longer the impunity prevails," the more international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions will become "irrelevant."
"Endless & senseless killing, day after day. Another school sheltering displaced people hit in Nuseirat today. Among the people killed are six @UNRWAstaff working & providing support to families who have sought refuge in the school.
"Since the beginning of this war, at least 220 UNRWA staff have been killed in #GazaHumanitarian staff, premises& operations have been blatantly & unabatedly disregarded since the beginning of the war. The longer impunity prevails, the more international humanitarian law & the Geneva conventions will become irrelevant," he added.
https://x.com/UNLazzarini/status/1833979363852714225
Meanwhile, the UN reported that health workers are continuing efforts to vaccinate young children in northern Gaza against polio, part of a wider campaign to defeat the disease, which can cause paralysis.
More than 81,600 boys and girls were vaccinated as of Tuesday, according to preliminary data from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Polio was detected in Gaza in June and UN agencies and partners launched a two-round campaign this month to provide over 640,000 children with two doses of novel oral polio vaccine type 2.
So far, nearly 5,28,000 children have been reached in the first round.
"More than 230 teams are on the ground trying to reach all children under the age of 10 with the first batch of the polio vaccination," UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in New York, adding that "they will need to do this again in four weeks."