The United Nations has launched an investigation into an unidentified attack on a UN car in Rafah on Monday, which led to the first death of a member of the organization's international team since October 7, an official said. spokesperson for the general secretariat this Wednesday (15).
The employee, a retired Indian military officer named Waibhav Anil Kale, worked at the UN Department of Safety and Security and at the time of the attack was on his way to a hospital in Rafah with a colleague, who was injured.
India's Ministry of External Affairs said its diplomatic mission was “in touch with relevant authorities” to discuss the investigation, and that it hoped to be able to bring Kale's body back home.
Israel's military operation has surrounded Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, where more than 1 million Palestinians have sought shelter since the start of the conflict. At the same time, the Israeli armed forces resumed attacks on the northern part of the enclave this Tuesday (14), in one of the most violent moments since the start of the war.
Israel's international allies and humanitarian aid groups have warned that they are against a ground incursion into Rafah, where there is a concentration of internal Palestinian migrants and, according to Israel, also four Hamas battalions. Israeli authorities say they need to liquidate the group's remaining fighters.
In a statement on Monday (13), following Kale's death, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated the “urgent call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the release of all hostages”, stating that the conflict in Gaza continues to have serious impacts “not only for civilians, but also those working with humanitarian aid”.
Palestinian health authorities say the Israeli operation has caused the deaths of more than 35,000 people since October 7 and forced the majority of the region's 2.3 million residents to leave their homes.
On Tuesday (14), the spokesperson for the UN General Secretariat, Farhan Haq, stated that the entity created a panel to define those responsible for the attack.
“The investigation is still in the preliminary phase and details about the incident are still being verified with the Israeli Defense Force,” Haq said. He further stated that there are 71 UN international staff workers in Gaza currently.
Israel has ordered the evacuation of parts of Rafah in recent days. The main UN agency working on humanitarian aid estimates that more than 450,000 people have left the city since May 6. More than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge in the region.
Source: CNN Brasil
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