Rafah, Gaza Strip – The UN agency for Palestinian refugees reported a tragic incident as a member of its staff lost his life and 22 others sustained injuries in an attack by Israeli forces on a food distribution center in Rafah, located in the southern Gaza Strip. UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini condemned the attack, highlighting the frequency with which such assaults on their facilities occur, in clear violation of international humanitarian law.
The Hamas-run health ministry confirmed that five people lost their lives due to an Israeli air strike, with the Israeli military claiming that they had carried out a targeted attack on a Hamas commander named Mohammed Abu Hasna. The military justified the strike, identifying Abu Hasna as a combat support operative within Hamas’s military wing in the Rafah area.
The attack in Rafah, a densely populated area sheltering approximately 1.5 million Palestinians seeking refuge from Israel’s ongoing ground offensive elsewhere in Gaza, has further escalated tensions in the region. As the conflict continues, the UN Secretary-General has expressed concerns that an Israeli assault on Rafah could plunge the people of Gaza into deeper suffering.
In response to the fatal incident, UNRWA spokeswoman Juliette Touma stated that the Israeli forces were responsible for the attack on the distribution center, where approximately 60 employees were on duty. The aftermath of the attack showed a devastating scene, with bloodshed in the courtyard and inside the warehouse, where aid supplies were stored.
While Israel Defense Forces (IDF) justified the strike as targeting a Hamas terrorist involved in controlling humanitarian aid distribution, UNRWA officials raised alarms about the diminishing food supplies in Gaza and the widespread hunger, pushing some areas into the brink of famine. The agency emphasized its efforts to share the coordinates of its facilities with conflict parties, including the Israeli army, to prevent such tragic incidents.
Since the onset of the conflict, UNRWA reveals that 165 of its employees in Gaza have lost their lives, and more than 150 of its facilities have been impacted. Allegations of supporting Hamas have been levied against UNRWA, prompting scrutiny and funding pauses from donors. The agency has denied these claims, but investigations and dismissals of employees accused of involvement in attacks have stirred controversy and strained relations between Israel and UNRWA.