First UN international staff member killed in Gaza: Spokesperson

UN spokesperson Farhan Haq announced that a member of the UN security personnel was killed in an attack targeting his car in Rafah on Monday, clarifying that he is the first international staff member of the organization to be killed in Gaza since the outbreak of the war.

Haq stated that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "was deeply saddened to learn of the death of a United Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS) staff member and injury to another DSS staffer when their UN vehicle was struck as they traveled to the European Hospital in Rafah this morning."

He added that this is the "first international victim" of the United Nations since the start of the Israeli attack on Gaza in response to the unprecedented attack by Hamas on October 7th in southern Israel, recalling the killing of about 190 Palestinian UN employees, most of whom were from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

Haq further stated that the Secretary-General "condemns all attacks on UN personnel and calls for a full investigation."

No details were provided about the incident, and Haq refrained from specifying the nationalities of the deceased and the injured employees.

Haq said, "I don't have all the details," but "I believe the convoy was moving when the vehicle was hit," explaining that all vehicles were known to belong to the United Nations.

The United Nations Safety and Security Department oversees the security of the organization's agencies and programs in more than 130 countries.

AFP