The white UN car, marked with the UN logo, was on its way to an Israeli checkpoint in Gaza. When the vehicle was a few meters away from the checkpoint, Israeli soldiers started shooting at them. The car was hit by at least ten bullets: five on the driver’s side, two on the passenger side and three on other parts of the vehicle. None of the employees in the car were physically injured. The UN car was shot at at an Israeli checkpoint at Wadi Gaza, when they were on their way to Kerem Shalom. The incident on 27 August has caused the UN food program to stop all activity in Gaza until further notice. The team was returning to Kerem Shalom from a mission with two armored UN vehicles after escorting a convoy of trucks carrying humanitarian cargo to Gaza’s central area. A group of Palestinians have gathered to get goods from the relief organization for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). Photo: OMAR AL-QATTAA / AFP – Despite being clearly marked and having received several clearances from Israeli authorities to approach, the vehicle was directly hit by gunfire as it approached a checkpoint from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), they write themselves on their websites. It is the first time that a UN vehicle has been directly shot at near a checkpoint, despite having obtained the necessary clearances that are necessary. A girl sits on a loading platform drinking water from a plastic bag. Emergency aid comes from the UN and UNRWA. Photo: OMAR AL-QATTAA / AFP More trouble – less help The UN has for a long time pointed to all the obstacles to getting help into Gaza during the war. – Aid work in Gaza is severely limited by hostility, insecurity, and mass evacuation orders that affect transport routes and facilities for aid, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. – This is totally unacceptable and the latest in a series of unnecessary security incidents that have put the lives of the UN team in Gaza in danger, says the UN’s Cindy McCain. – As the events of last night show, the current conflict management is failing, and this cannot continue any longer. I ask the Israeli authorities and all parties to the conflict to act immediately to ensure the safety and security of all aid workers in Gaza. The United Nations’ World Food Program is the largest humanitarian organization in the world, which saves lives in crisis situations and uses food aid to build a path to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflicts, disasters and the effects of climate change. The IDF will take a closer look at the case According to Reuters, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have stated that they will take a closer look at the incident. – The State of Israel is obliged to improve the coordination and security of humanitarian organizations to ensure effective delivery of aid, says the IDF. The UN Security Council will meet on Thursday to discuss the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. This is following an initiative from Great Britain and Switzerland. Published 29/08/2024, at 06.47 Updated 29/08/2024, at 08.28
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