GENEVA: More than 100 United Nations employees have been killed since the Israel-Hamas war began in Gaza, the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) said on Friday (Nov 10), making it the deadliest conflict ever for the UN in such a short period of time.
Some were killed queuing for bread, while others died along with their families in their homes, UNRWA told Reuters, as Israel’s devastating aerial and ground war against Hamas in densely populated Gaza continued in response to the Oct 7 cross-border assault on Israeli communities by the militant group.
“Devastated. Over 100 UNRWA colleagues confirmed killed in 1 month. Parents, teachers, nurses, doctors, support staff. UNRWA is mourning, Palestinians mourning, Israelis mourning,” Philippe Lazzarini said on social media platform X. The agency later said it was mourning 101 colleagues.
“They represent what is happening to the people of Gaza. They happen to work for the UN,” said Juliette Touma, Director of Communications at UNRWA. “They and every other civilian in the Gaza Strip … should never have been killed.”
UN staff around the world will observe a minute of silence and flags will fly at half mast on Monday, the global body said.
Israel blames Hamas for civilian deaths in Gaza, saying the group uses the population as human shields and hides weapons and equipment around hospitals, which have been hit by bombardments.
Besides Gaza, the next most deadly conflicts for UN aid workers was Nigeria in 2011 when a suicide bomber attacked its Abuja office during an Islamist insurgency, killing 46.
Source: CNA
