A United Nations official has been killed together with greater than 70 members of his prolonged household in an Israeli air strike close to Gaza Metropolis, as lots of of individuals have been killed in intensified bombardment since Friday’s UN Safety Council decision that has been criticised as “woefully inadequate”.
Issam Al Mughrabi, 56, who labored for the United Nations Growth Programme (UNDP) for 3 a long time was killed alongside together with his spouse and kids in an Israeli air strike on Friday.
“For nearly 30 years, Issam has labored with UNDP by way of our Programme of Help to the Palestinian Folks,” UNDP administrator Achim Steiner stated in a assertion.
“The lack of Issam and his household has deeply affected us all. The UN and civilians in Gaza usually are not a goal.”
Providing his condolences to Issam’s household and colleagues the World Well being Group’s chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus pressured in a submit on X that “humanitarians ought to by no means be victims” and known as for a ceasefire.
So saddened by this tragedy @ASteiner. My deepest condolences to all who knew and beloved Issam and his household, you and everybody at @UNDP.
Humanitarians ought to by no means be victims. We’d like a #CeasefireNOW in #Gaza.https://t.co/E2r6BCQSBl https://t.co/C7NuyHSLcG
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) December 23, 2023
Since Israel’s warfare on Gaza started on October 7, 136 employees members of the UN have been killed.
On Friday, the worldwide company’s secretary-general Antonio Guterres stated that all through the UN’s historical past, they’d by no means witnessed the loss of life of their employees in such giant numbers.
“Most of our employees have been pressured from their properties,” he added in a submit on X, paying tribute to UN members working in Gaza.
Troublesome weekend for Gaza and the Israeli military
The loss of life of the veteran UN employees member and his relations comes as Israeli air strikes proceed to kill lots of of Palestinians within the Gaza Strip.
On Saturday, Gaza’s Ministry of Well being stated that no less than 201 Palestinians had been killed and almost 370 wounded by Israeli forces up to now 24 hours in Gaza.
Within the early hours of Sunday, a 13-year-old little one was additionally killed by an Israeli drone close to El Amal Hospital in Khan Younis, in keeping with the Palestine Purple Crescent Society.
Greater than 8,000 kids have been killed in Gaza because the Israel-Hamas warfare started on October 7.
Reporting from Rafah in southern Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud stated that Saturday in a single day, extra residential areas in Deir el-Balah metropolis, the place individuals from locations such because the Bureij and Nuseirat refugee camps have been ordered to evacuate, got here beneath heavy bombardment, and houses have been destroyed. He stated the jap facet of the Gaza Strip was additionally experiencing fierce airstrikes.
“As of now, the seek for individuals beneath the rubble is ongoing,” Hani stated.
In the meantime, Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher highlighted the way it has additionally been a tough weekend for the Israeli military in Gaza, with 5 troopers killed on Friday and eight on Saturday, attributable to fierce combating within the Strip.
“You’ve heard from the Israelis suggesting that in northern Gaza, they’d navy management. The truth that they’re nonetheless dropping troopers, that rockets are nonetheless being fired from Gaza in direction of Israel, would recommend that they don’t have that management and that signifies that this part of the warfare is prone to go on for longer,” Fisher stated, reporting from Ramallah, within the occupied West Financial institution.
Problem in delivering assist
On Friday, the UN handed a decision after days of delays that watered down the language. It known as for assist supply however couldn’t agree on a ceasefire. Support teams say the relentless bombardment and the fierce combating between the Israeli military and Hamas have impeded assist supply within the besieged enclave the place persons are going through starvation.
“The actual drawback is that the best way Israel is conducting this offensive is creating huge obstacles to the distribution of humanitarian assist inside Gaza,” UN chief Guterres stated.
“An efficient assist operation in Gaza requires safety, employees who can work in security, logistical capability, and the resumption of economic exercise. These 4 components don’t exist,” he added.
UNRWA director Thomas White shared comparable issues and highlighted that situations on the bottom for assist employees must be safe, for assist deliveries to be carried out.
“We’d like a ceasefire that can cease the killing of civilians and destruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza,” he stated.
