The United Nations has reported that one of its workers has been killed, while others sustained injuries after a compound in Gaza was damaged on Wednesday.
The circumstances surrounding the incident remain uncertain.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-controlled health ministry, an Israeli strike was responsible for the attack, with five critically injured foreign workers being transported to the hospital.
However, Israel’s military has denied targeting the UN compound in Deir al-Balah.
This development follows Israel’s resumption of hostilities in Gaza after a two-month ceasefire. The renewed offensive has resulted in more than 400 casualties, as reported by Gaza’s health ministry.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had declared on Tuesday that Israel had “resumed combat in full force.”
A day later, the Israel Defense Forces announced an extension of its ground operations in Gaza, advancing towards the Netzarim corridor, which separates the north from the south.
Troops moved into the area “to create a partial buffer between northern and southern Gaza,” according to the military.
Initially, the UN reported two fatalities among its staff, but later clarified that only one was an employee.
The UN Office for Project Services stated that an “explosive ordnance was dropped or fired” at the building, which was in an “isolated” location. However, no confirmation was provided on the nature of the incident or the type of artillery involved.
UNOPS’ executive director, Jorge Moreira da Silva, asserted that the attack was “not an accident” and emphasized that “UN personnel and its premises must be protected by all sides.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for a thorough investigation after two guesthouses were struck.
Verified footage obtained by the BBC showed injured individuals, two still wearing blue UN flak jackets—arriving at a hospital in an ambulance and a UN vehicle.
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes across Gaza overnight led to at least 20 more deaths. The Palestinian Wafa news agency, citing Red Crescent medics, reported that an Israeli drone strike on a tent near the al-Mawasi humanitarian zone killed two civilians and injured five others.
The Israeli military, however, stated it had targeted a Hamas military site from which attacks were being prepared. Hamas-controlled vessels were also reportedly hit.
Despite Tuesday’s intense bombardment, Israel’s offensive has continued at a steady pace.
The UN’s under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief, Tom Fletcher, remarked that “the intensity of the killings is now off the scale.”
Reports from Wafa indicated that an airstrike north of Khan Younis killed a woman and a child, while another strike in Gaza City resulted in four more deaths. Gaza’s health ministry claims that since Tuesday, 436 people, including 183 children, have lost their lives.
Tuesday’s bombardment was the heaviest since a fragile ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement took effect on January 19.
The deal was designed to unfold in three stages, but negotiations on the second phase never began.
Under this proposed second phase, Israeli troops were supposed to withdraw from Gaza, but instead, Israel and the U.S. pushed for an extension of the first phase, aiming for additional hostage releases in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Netanyahu justified the renewed fighting as a step toward Israel’s primary goals: securing the hostages and dismantling Hamas.
However, families of the hostages have criticized the decision, accusing the government of abandoning their loved ones.
In response, thousands of Israelis have gathered in Jerusalem, protesting against Netanyahu and accusing him of disregarding democracy while reigniting the war in Gaza without prioritizing the hostages.
According to Israeli authorities, Hamas is still holding 59 hostages, of whom 24 are believed to be alive.
Egypt, which has been mediating negotiations, condemned the renewed strikes as a “blatant” ceasefire violation. Meanwhile, Israel’s blockade on humanitarian aid has exacerbated the crisis.
“For two weeks now, our food supplies are rotting at the borders, the medicines are expiring, the water’s been cut off, the power’s been cut off – and all that to punish civilians further,” Fletcher told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
He revealed that he had appealed to the UN Security Council to lift the blockade and revive the ceasefire deal, which includes the release of hostages.
“I’m not asking for the moon here,” he stated, reaffirming that his team remains committed to aiding survivors in Gaza.
“They’re saying to us: What does it say about our values that we can’t stop a 21st Century atrocity happening before our eyes – and not just happening, but being cheered on before our eyes?”
Tuesday’s airstrikes reportedly killed multiple Hamas leaders, including Essam a-Da’lees, the group’s de facto head of government.
Additionally, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad confirmed that its prominent spokesman, Abu Hamza, had been killed. However, alongside these targeted strikes, a significant number of civilians, including children, were among the casualties.
Regional mediators are now working to convince Hamas to release additional Israeli hostages in exchange for a de-escalation of violence. However, Netanyahu has insisted that “all ceasefire talks will take place under fire.”
The current conflict stems from Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and the capture of 251 hostages.
During the initial phase of the ceasefire, 25 hostages were released alive. In retaliation, Israel launched a large-scale military offensive, which has so far led to more than 48,500 deaths, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, and extensive destruction across the region.
