UNRWA Staff Casualties in Gaza Airstrikes Spark Outcry

The Israeli military identified nine Hamas militants killed in Gaza airstrikes that also resulted in the deaths of six UNRWA staffers. The U.N. condemned the attacks, which took place at a school sheltering displaced people. The incident demands an independent investigation amid concerns over civilian safety.

The Israeli military on Thursday released the names of nine men it claimed were Hamas militants killed in Gaza airstrikes, which the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, said also resulted in the deaths of six of its staffers. The military asserted that three of the Hamas individuals were also UNRWA workers, although Reuters couldn't independently verify their identities. Hamas has yet to comment.

UNRWA reported that the six staffers were killed during two airstrikes that targeted a school in central Gaza on Wednesday, marking the highest single-incident death toll among its employees. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack, with U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric noting that the airstrikes killed at least 18 people, including the UNRWA staff, women, and children. This incident raises the total number of UNRWA staff fatalities in the conflict to 220.

"This incident must be independently and thoroughly investigated to ensure accountability," Dujarric emphasized, stressing the urgent need for civilian protection in Gaza. UNRWA revealed that the affected school compound was serving as a shelter for displaced individuals, a detail the Israeli military states was exploited by Hamas militants. Guterres called for all parties to refrain from utilizing schools and shelters for military objectives.

Additionally, UNRWA Director of Communications Juliette Touma claimed that Israeli authorities had not requested a list of the staffers killed, contrary to the military's statement. As the Gaza conflict continues, triggered by Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in 1,200 Israeli deaths and 250 hostages, the ongoing Israeli response has claimed more than 41,000 Palestinian lives, per the enclave's health ministry.

(With inputs from agencies.)