Projectile hitting UN Gaza guesthouse that killed UN staff was Israeli
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The investigation closely follows the death of a UN worker inside a UN guesthouse in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, as "Israel" resumes its war on the strip.
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The impact of a projectile is visible on the wall of the UN guesthouse, where United Nations workers were located when the building was struck, killing one staff member and injuring five others in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, on Wednesday, March 19, 2025 (AP)
An investigation by CNN published on Thursday revealed that Israeli tanks opened fire on a UN facility in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, killing one UN worker, constituting a war crime under international law.
A video filmed by CNN crews showed a hole on the side of the targeted building. Trevor Ball, a former US Army senior explosive ordnance disposal team member, said weapon fragments from the scene were consistent with the M339, an Israeli tank projectile, pointing out that the damage caused to the building is consistent with a direct impact from a tank round.
N.R. Jenzen-Jones, director of Armament Research Services (ARES) and an analyst of the footage, stated that the “remnants appear to be from an Israeli 120 mm tank projectile, most likely the M339 multi-purpose model.”
CNN asked the IOF if they were investigating whether the strike was caused by an Israeli tank, to which an IOF spokesperson answered, “We have nothing to add at the moment. If new information arises, we will publish it.”
The United Nations announced on Wednesday that one of its workers was killed in Gaza by "explosive ordnance" shot at a UN guesthouse in central Gaza. Jorge Moreira da Silva, head of the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), noted that the attack targeted a UN guest house that was frequently used by the international organization.
Da Silva added, “Two days ago there was a near miss to this premises, and yesterday the premises was hit, and today there was another hit, unfortunately with these casualties."
Describing the location as known to the IDF and situated in an isolated area with no other buildings nearby, he noted that the guesthouse had been targeted multiple times this week, as Da Silva recounted that two days ago, there was a near miss, followed by a direct hit a day prior and the strike that tragically resulted in casualties.
An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson reported Wednesday that a Bulgarian UN worker had died in Gaza, though it remained unclear if this was the same individual referenced in the UN’s statement, as the Palestinian Ministry of Health blamed the attack on the Israeli military, which the IOF denied, claiming that it had not carried out an airstrike near the guesthouse.
This comes amid "Israel's" renewal of the war in Gaza, after obstructing the ceasefire deal by refusing to move on to the second phase of the ceasefire, instead opting for a US proposal that would extend the first phase of the ceasefire deal, something Hamas refused in favor of adhering to the initial agreement.
UN chief 'shocked' by staffer's death
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday condemned "Israel’s" deadly strikes on UN personnel in Gaza, emphasizing that the "parties involved" were fully aware of the locations of UN facilities and yet continued to target them.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health had confirmed that one foreign aid worker was killed and five others were critically injured after Israeli occupation forces shelled the headquarters of an international humanitarian organization in the central Gaza governorate. Medical teams at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital received the victims, condemning the attack on personnel engaged in relief efforts.
“The Secretary-General was deeply saddened and shocked to learn of the death of a United Nations Office for Project Services staff member when two UN guesthouses in Deir al-Balah were hit in strikes,” Guterres’ spokesperson said in a statement.
The statement underscored that “the locations of all UN premises are known to the parties to the conflict, who are bound by international law to protect them and maintain their absolute inviolability.”
Guterres extended his condolences to the family of the martyred staff member and highlighted the devastating toll on humanitarian workers, confirming that at least 280 UN personnel have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
The latest attack on UN premises is part of "Israel’s" ongoing massacre in Gaza, which has deliberately targeted hospitals, schools, and refugee shelters in blatant violation of international law.
UN staffers in Gaza risk not only being targeted by the Israeli occupation forces but also starvation as "Israel" continues blocking humanitarian aid entries.
Katz explicitly threatens Gaza with genocide, ethnic cleansing
This comes as Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday threatened the Palestinians in Gaza with the complete destruction of the besieged enclave and signaled the imminent resumption of the forced displacement of its people.
“For Gazans, this is the latest warning ... The air force attacks on Hamas were only the first step. What comes next will be much harder, and you will have to pay the price in full. The evacuation of the population from the war zones will soon begin again. If all kidnapped Israelis are not released and Hamas is not forced out of the Gaza Strip, Israel will act with a force you have never seen before,” Katz said in a direct address to the people of Gaza.
The statement signals a further escalation in the Israeli occupation’s brutal onslaught in the Gaza Strip, which has already killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and displaced the overwhelming majority of the enclave’s residents.
Katz also urged the people of Gaza to follow the advice of former US President Donald Trump, claiming that compliance with Israeli demands could lead to alternative “options” for them, including the forced displacement from Gaza permanently.
“Return the kidnapped and get rid of Hamas, then other options will open up for you, including passage to other parts of the world. The alternative is total destruction and devastation,” he added.
