IOF detain UN polio convoy despite prior coordination
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UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini has flagged the incident as a series of violations against the organization by the IOF.
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Trucks carrying humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip pass through the inspection area at the Karem Salem Crossing in southern occupied Palestine, Thursday, March 14, 2024. (AP)
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) seized a United Nations convoy after stopping it at gunpoint for over eight hours, according to UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini.
On Monday, a UN convoy transporting national and international staffers to launch the polio vaccination campaign for children in northern Gaza before being stopped at gunpoint despite prior coordination with the IOF.
"The convoy was stopped at gun point just after the Wadi Gaza checkpoint with threats to detain UN staff. Heavy damage was caused by bulldozers to the UN armoured vehicles," Lazzarini said in a post on X.
He added that the UN staffers were all released from Israeli detention and returned to their base. However, the polio campaign, scheduled for Tuesday, is now pending confirmation.
Lazzarini further highlighted that the detention of the UN convoy was not an isolated incident, but came "in a series of violations against UN staff including shootings at convoys & arrests by the Israeli Armed Forces at checkpoints despite prior notification."
He stressed that the organization must be allowed to carry out its duties in the Strip, calling for the protection of its members under international humanitarian law.
The Israeli Army stopped a UN convoy on its way to northern #Gaza for more than eight hours today (Monday) despite prior detailed coordination.
— Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) September 9, 2024
The convoy had both national & international staff traveling to roll out the #polio vaccination campaign for children in Gaza city and…
Not a first for the IOF
Last week, the IOF bombed an aid convoy organized by a US non-profit humanitarian organization in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of five individuals. To make matters worse, the convoy was targeted despite prior coordination with the Israeli occupation forces.
The convoy, organized by the Washington, DC-based non-profit organization Anera was struck by an Israeli missile that specifically targeted the lead vehicle. Anera described the incident as "horrific" in a statement to The Washington Post and confirmed that the victims were employees of a local transport company.
The convoy was delivering medical supplies and fuel to a hospital in Rafah, southern Gaza, operated by the United Arab Emirates. The route had been pre-arranged and coordinated with the Israeli occupation forces to ensure safe passage.
This attack follows another recent incident where an Israeli military unit fired live ammunition at a vehicle clearly marked with the World Food Programme (WFP) logo in Gaza. This vehicle was also part of a convoy that had been fully coordinated with the Israeli military.
The US Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations stated that the Israeli occupation informed the US that a preliminary review concluded the shooting at the WFP-marked vehicle resulted from a "communication error" between Israeli military units.
