UN chief 'shocked' by staffer's death after IOF bombed Gaza guesthouse

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News Websites
19 Mar 2025 21:57

Antonio Guterres has expressed his sadness following the death of one UN staffer in Gaza in a deliberate attack on UN guesthouses.

Listen

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, leaving one staff member dead and five injured in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, March 19, 2025 (AP)

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.

Earlier today, the Palestinian Ministry of Health 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.

UNRWA spokesperson Adnan Abu Hasna told RIA Novosti last week that the situation in Gaza is quickly worsening due to the blockade of humanitarian aid, as well as water and electricity cuts, leaving residents with only enough food to last a few days or, at most, weeks.

Human rights organizations located in Gaza, including the UN, could also deplete their food stocks within days, or weeks in a best-case scenario, Adnan warned.

The Israeli occupation has now renewed the aggression on Gaza, endangering the lives of all its residents, including humanitarian workers protected by international law.

At least 400 Palestinians have been killed since the reignition of the war on Tuesday, and over 600 have been injured.