UN staffer killed as Israeli forces take Rafah control

The United Nations staff member was killed another was injured while on their way to a hospital in southern Gaza on Monday.

In a statement UN said that their vehicle was travelling to the European Hospital near Rafah when it was struck.

The UN did not mention who it thought was responsible for the attack.

However, the Israeli military confirmed that the vehicle was struck in an active combat zone and it had not been made aware of its route.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed it had received a report from the UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) that said two of its workers were injured in the Rafah area – in southern Gaza – on Monday.

The IDF added that the incident was under review.

UN secretary-general António Guterres said he was “deeply saddened” to learn of the worker’s death and sent his condolences to their family, his spokesman Farhan Haq said in a statement.

“The Secretary-General condemns all attacks on UN personnel and calls for a full investigation,” Haq added.

More than 190 UN staff had been killed in Gaza since the start of the conflict, said Guterres.

Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza on 7 October. Since then, over 35,090 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the health ministry.