The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) confirmed that six of its staff members were killed in two airstrikes on a school in central Gaza on Wednesday.
The school, which had been sheltering displaced families, was hit during ongoing military operations in the region.
UNRWA stated that this is the highest number of fatalities among its staff in a single incident since the conflict began. Among the victims were the director of the shelter and other personnel providing assistance to displaced individuals.
The school had been targeted five times since the start of the conflict, and it was housing approximately 12,000 people, mainly women and children, seeking refuge from the violence.
The Israeli military acknowledged conducting an airstrike on a command center in Nuseirat, central Gaza, which it said was operated by Hamas.
However, the attack also resulted in significant civilian casualties. According to the Hamas-run government, at least 18 people were killed in the strike, including the UNRWA staff members.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his concern over the growing number of casualties among UN workers and humanitarian aid providers in Gaza, calling the lack of accountability “completely unacceptable.”
The Israeli military maintains that it takes measures to minimize civilian harm, stating that at least a third of Palestinian casualties are militants. However, they accuse Hamas of using civilians as human shields, a claim Hamas denies.
The war erupted on October 7, when Hamas launched an attack on Israeli towns, leading to the deaths of 1,200 people and the taking of around 250 hostages. In response, Israel initiated a series of airstrikes on Gaza, which have so far resulted in the deaths of over 41,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.
