Six UNRWA staff killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza school shelter
![Six UNRWA staff killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza school shelter Six UNRWA staff killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza school shelter](/img/NewsGallery/2024/9/12/415690/FeaturedImage/0b1e350a-3e1d-4701-b452-8af6e67e7ae6.webp)
Six staff members of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) were killed on Wednesday when Israeli airstrikes targeted a school-turned-shelter and its surrounding areas in Gaza, the agency confirmed.
In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), UNRWA stated, "This is the highest death toll among our staff in a single incident." The airstrikes reportedly killed at least 34 people, including the shelter’s manager and other UNRWA team members.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the ongoing violence in Gaza. "What's happening in Gaza is totally unacceptable," he wrote on X, calling for an immediate halt to the violations of international humanitarian law.
The UNRWA school in Nuseirat, located in the Middle Area of Gaza, was sheltering approximately 12,000 displaced people, mostly women and children. This marks the fifth time the site has been hit since the conflict began 11 months ago. According to the UN, the location had previously been deconflicted with Israeli forces, meaning its coordinates were shared to avoid targeting.
UNRWA urged all parties to refrain from using schools or surrounding areas for military purposes, stating, "No one is safe in Gaza. No one is spared. Schools and other civilian infrastructure must be protected at all times; they are not a target."
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini expressed deep frustration over the "endless and senseless killing" in Gaza, revealing that at least 220 UNRWA staff members have died since the war began. He stressed that the disregard for humanitarian staff and operations must stop, warning that continued impunity threatens the relevance of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.
The attack highlights the increasingly dire situation in Gaza, where civilian infrastructure continues to suffer amidst the ongoing Israeli genocide. (ILKHA)
What's happening in Gaza is totally unacceptable.
A school turned shelter for around 12,000 people was hit by Israeli airstrikes again today.
Six of our @UNRWA colleagues are among those killed.
These dramatic violations of international humanitarian law need to stop now.
LEGAL WARNING: All rights of the published news, photos and videos are reserved by İlke Haber Ajansı Basın Yayın San. Trade A.Ş. Under no circumstances can all or part of the news, photos and videos be used without a written contract or subscription.
The Orphans Foundation has completed and launched a new water well in Tanzania, dedicated to the memory of Ismail Haniyeh, a Palestinian resistance leader who was assassinated by Israeli terrorists in Tehran.
In the early hours of Thursday, five Palestinian civilians were killed and several others were injured during ongoing Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip.
The Hamas Movement has reiterated its readiness to implement a ceasefire agreement based on a U.S.-mediated proposal and rejected any new conditions imposed by other parties.