A foreign UN worker was killed, and five others sustained serious injuries in Gaza on Wednesday following an Israeli airstrike, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
The incident allegedly took place at a UN facility in the central governorate, but Israel has denied targeting any UN building.
The Gaza health ministry released a statement confirming the death and injuries of foreign UN staff, adding that they had been transported to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital for treatment. However, Israel’s military has refuted these claims, stating that the IDF did not strike a UN compound in Deir el-Balah. An Israeli army spokesperson told AFP, "I confirm there was no IDF operational activity there and that the IDF didn't strike the UN compound."
Despite the denial, AFP footage from the scene showed injured individuals wearing bulletproof vests, with at least one person wearing a UNMAS (United Nations Mine Action Service) T-shirt. The footage also captured UN vehicles and ambulances transporting the wounded to the hospital.
Gaza’s civil defense agency reported that 13 people had been killed in Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday alone. Meanwhile, the latest figures from the Gaza health ministry indicate that the overall death toll in Gaza has risen by 970 people in just 48 hours.
The death toll recorded at midday Monday stood at 48,577, but by midday Wednesday, the number had climbed to 49,547.
Additionally, overnight airstrikes from Monday to Tuesday marked one of the deadliest attacks since the ceasefire agreement on January 19. The Israeli strikes reportedly killed over 400 people, making it one of the most lethal days in the conflict since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.