UN to Reduce Gaza Presence After Deadly Israeli Attacks, Demands Investigation

The United Nations announced it will reduce its international staff presence in Gaza following renewed attacks by Israeli forces that have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians, including UN personnel, Al Jazeera reports.

UN spokesperson Stephan Dujarric stated in a press briefing on Monday that approximately 30 of the UN’s roughly 100 international staff members will be departing Gaza this week. Dujarric acknowledged the withdrawal occurs at a critical time when humanitarian needs have surged and “concern over the protection of civilians intensifies.” He described the “temporary measure” as a “difficult decision” made by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for security and operational reasons.

In a significant development, Dujarric confirmed that an Israeli tank was responsible for the March 19 attack on a UN compound in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, which killed a Bulgarian UN staff member and severely injured six other foreign staff. This marks the UN’s first official statement directly implicating Israeli forces in the attack on the clearly marked UN site, following repeated denials by the Israeli military. The strike occurred a day after Israel broke a two-month ceasefire agreement with Hamas.

Dujarric added that Secretary-General Guterres has demanded “a full, thorough and independent investigation” into the March 19 tank attack.

Israel has previously claimed that it struck a Hamas site where preparations were underway to fire into Israeli territory.

When questioned about whether the UN believes the attack on its facility was deliberate, given that Israeli forces knew the exact location, Dujarric responded, “I think that’s one of the reasons we need to have a pretty clear and transparent investigation.”

On Monday, the Israeli military also admitted to firing on a building belonging to the Red Cross in Rafah, southern Gaza, attributing the attack on the clearly marked humanitarian organization’s building to mistaken identity. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported that its office in Rafah was damaged by an explosive projectile, although no staff were injured. The damage, the ICRC stated, has had a direct impact on its ability to operate, without explicitly identifying the perpetrator of the explosion.

According to health officials, since October 7, 2023, Israel’s war on Gaza has resulted in the deaths of over 50,000 Palestinians and injuries to approximately 113,200 more within the territory.