The United Nations has officially confirmed that an Israeli tank was behind the attack on a UN compound in central Gaza, resulting in the death of a Bulgarian staff member and severe injuries to six others. The incident occurred on March 19, in Deir el-Balah, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated on Monday that the strike hit a clearly marked UN facility and called for a thorough investigation. This is the first time the UN has directly blamed Israel for the assault, which followed Israel’s violation of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
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Israel had previously denied responsibility, claiming the target was a Hamas site, but the UN is demanding accountability. Due to escalating violence, the UN has also decided to withdraw 30% of its international staff from Gaza, although humanitarian efforts will continue through local personnel.
The conflict has taken a devastating toll, with Gaza’s health ministry reporting over 50,000 Palestinian deaths and more than 113,000 injuries since the hostilities resumed.
