- The United States intensifies its pressure on Israel following an incident involving the firing on a UN vehicle
Following a hail of bullets targeting a UN aid vehicle in Gaza, the U.S. puts the heat on its associate, Israel. Israel claimed the attack on the UN vehicle was a miscommunication between its military forces, as mentioned by U.S. Deputy Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood at a UN Security Council gathering in New York. "We've urged them to swiftly address the issues within their system that led to this incident. Regrettably, more than ten months into this conflict, incidents reminiscent of yesterday's occur far too often."
The UN demanded a detailed explanation from Israel following Tuesday's occurrence. The clearly marked humanitarian UN vehicle was part of a convoy coordinated with the Israeli army. It was struck ten times by Israeli forces. Israel has initiated an investigation.
UN Halts on Blame
Such incidents pose a severe challenge to humanitarian organizations and should be avoided completely, Wood asserted. "Israel should not only accept responsibility for its errors but also take decisive actions to prevent its military from targeting UN personnel again. Furthermore, derogatory comments against the UN and humanitarian workers must cease, as it only increases the risk for these organizations. Israeli officials have consistently linked the UN and its staff to terrorist supporters."
"Whether it was an oversight, intentional, or due to another reason – we request these details," UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated on Wednesday. Thankfully, the occupants were safe as it was an armored car from the World Food Programme (WFP), which temporarily halted the movement of its employees in Gaza due to the incident. According to WFP, the incident took place just a few meters from an Israeli checkpoint in the heart of Gaza, after a humanitarian team guided trucks carrying aid in two UN vehicles. However, despite having explicit authorization for the journey, the shots were fired.
Not a Rare Incident
"The Israeli military values humanitarian efforts and the protection of humanitarian workers highly," the Israeli army mentioned. The State of Israel is dedicated to improving coordination with humanitarian organizations and security to efficiently deliver aid to the coastal strip.
Since the beginning of the Gaza conflict over ten months ago, humanitarian workers have fallen victim to repeated attacks. In early April, for instance, seven employees of the World Central Kitchen (WCK) were killed in an Israeli airstrike.
The Middle East continues to be a region of concern for humanitarian organizations, given the recurring attacks on UN vehicles in areas like Gaza. The UN strongly urges Israel to thoroughly investigate the incident involving the UN aid vehicle in Gaza, which was marked clearly and had authorization for its journey.
