Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesperson for the United Nations, announced that a member of the UN security staff was killed in an attack targeting his vehicle in Rafah on Monday.
This marks the first international staff member of the organization to be killed in Gaza since the onset of the war.
Farhan Haq relayed that Secretary-General António Guterres was deeply saddened upon learning of the death of a United Nations Department of Safety and Security member and the injury of another due to shelling that hit their vehicle while en route to the European Hospital in Rafah this morning.
"This is the first international casualty of the United Nations since the start of the Israeli attack on Gaza in response to the unprecedented attack by Hamas on October 7 in southern Israel," Haq stated, noting that about 190 Palestinian UN staff, mostly from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), have also been killed.
The Secretary-General condemned all attacks against UN staff and called for a comprehensive investigation. Haq did not provide further details about the incident or disclose the nationalities of the deceased and injured staff members.
"I don’t have all the details," said Haq, "but I believe the convoy was moving when the vehicle was hit." He noted that all vehicles were clearly marked as belonging to the United Nations.
The United Nations Department of Safety and Security ensures the security of the organization's agencies and programs across over 130 countries.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces continue their campaign to dismantle Hamas following the group's October 7 attack on southern Israel, which, according to Israeli statistics, resulted in 1,200 deaths and the taking of more than 250 hostages.
Conversely, over 35,000 Palestinians have been killed and 78,827 others injured in the Israeli military campaign in Gaza, as reported by the health ministry in the sector.
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