Israeli strikes kill UN staff, more than 70 of his extended family in Gaza | Israel-Palestine conflict News

A United Nations official has been killed together with greater than 70 members of his prolonged household in an Israeli air strike close to Gaza Metropolis, as lots of of individuals have been killed in intensified bombardment since Friday’s UN Safety Council resolution that has been criticised as “woefully insufficient”.

Issam Al Mughrabi, 56, who labored for the United Nations Growth Programme (UNDP) for 3 a long time was killed alongside along with his spouse and kids in an Israeli air strike on Friday.

“For nearly 30 years, Issam has labored with UNDP by our Programme of Help to the Palestinian Individuals,” UNDP administrator Achim Steiner stated in a statement.

“The lack of Issam and his household has deeply affected us all. The UN and civilians in Gaza aren’t a goal.”

Providing his condolences to Issam’s household and colleagues the World Well being Group’s chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus careworn in a publish on X that “humanitarians ought to by no means be victims” and known as for a ceasefire.

So saddened by this tragedy @ASteiner. My deepest condolences to all who knew and liked Issam and his household, you and everybody at @UNDP.

Humanitarians ought to by no means be victims. We’d like a #CeasefireNOW in #Gaza.https://t.co/E2r6BCQSBl https://t.co/C7NuyHSLcG

— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) December 23, 2023

Since Israel’s struggle on Gaza started on October 7, 136 employees members of the UN have been killed.

On Friday, the worldwide company’s secretary-general Antonio Guterres stated that all through the UN’s historical past, they’d by no means witnessed the dying of their employees in such giant numbers.

“Most of our employees have been compelled from their properties,” he added in a publish on X, paying tribute to UN members working in Gaza.

Troublesome weekend for Gaza and the Israeli military

The dying of the veteran UN employees member and his relations comes as Israeli air strikes proceed to kill lots of of Palestinians within the Gaza Strip.

On Saturday, Gaza’s Ministry of Well being stated that at least 201 Palestinians had been killed and practically 370 wounded by Israeli forces previously 24 hours in Gaza.

Within the early hours of Sunday, a 13-year-old youngster was additionally killed by an Israeli drone close to El Amal Hospital in Khan Younis, in line with the Palestine Pink Crescent Society.

Greater than 8,000 kids have been killed in Gaza because the Israel-Hamas struggle started on October 7.

Reporting from Rafah in southern Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud stated that Saturday in a single day, extra residential areas in Deir el-Balah metropolis, the place individuals from locations such because the Bureij and Nuseirat refugee camps have been ordered to evacuate, got here below heavy bombardment, and houses have been destroyed. He stated the japanese aspect of the Gaza Strip was additionally experiencing fierce airstrikes.

“As of now, the seek for individuals below the rubble is ongoing,” Hani stated.

In the meantime, Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher highlighted the way it has additionally been a tough weekend for the Israeli military in Gaza, with 5 troopers killed on Friday and eight on Saturday, because of fierce combating within the Strip.

“You’ve heard from the Israelis suggesting that in northern Gaza, they’d army management. The truth that they’re nonetheless dropping troopers, that rockets are nonetheless being fired from Gaza in the direction of Israel, would recommend that they don’t have that management and that implies that this section of the struggle is more likely to go on for longer,” Fisher stated, reporting from Ramallah, within the occupied West Financial institution.

Issue in delivering assist

On Friday, the UN handed a decision after days of delays that watered down the language. It known as for assist supply however couldn’t agree on a ceasefire. Assist teams say the relentless bombardment and the fierce combating between the Israeli military and Hamas have impeded assist supply within the besieged enclave the place persons are dealing with starvation.

“The actual downside is that the best way Israel is conducting this offensive is creating large obstacles to the distribution of humanitarian assist inside Gaza,” UN chief Guterres stated.

“An efficient assist operation in Gaza requires safety, employees who can work in security, logistical capability, and the resumption of economic exercise. These 4 components don’t exist,” he added.

UNRWA director Thomas White shared comparable considerations and highlighted that situations on the bottom for assist employees needs to be safe, for assist deliveries to be carried out.

“We’d like a ceasefire that may cease the killing of civilians and destruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza,” he stated.