The United Nations announced on Monday that they would reduce their presence in Gaza, pulling about one -third of their international workers, after repeating their facilities by Israel.
Secretary General António Guterres said in a statement that the decision to reduce the trace of the organization in Gaza was “heavy” at a time when humanitarian needs were growing and that the continuation of Israeli attacks was Killing hundreds of Palestiniansincluding women and children.
The withdrawal announced on Monday will be for the first time from the beginning of the Israeli Ham War in 2023 that the United Nations have reduced their workforce in Gaza, but will retain presence there.
“The UN does not leave Gaza. The organization remains dedicated to the continuation of the help that civilians depend on their survival and protection,” Mr. Guterres said in a statement.
At least 280 UN members have been killed in Gaza since the beginning of the war, the greatest loss of life in any conflict in his history, said Mr. Guterres.
Stéphane Dujarric, a UN spokesman, said that about 30 percent of the 100 or more international members of the organization from different agencies would leave Gaza over the next week and that he would probably start more in the coming weeks.
Local members of Palestinian staff would remain in Gaza to do humanitarian work.
On March 19th, the Israeli shell of the tank shell was hit by the UN compound located in the neighborhood of Gaza Deir Al Balah, said Mr. Dujarric. The attack was killed by UN employee from Bulgaria and injured six others.
“The point is that the Israelis knew exactly where this UN facility was, and was hit by a shell from one of their tanks,” said Mr. Dujarric. He said that the United Nations wanted an independent investigation and called on all the warring parties to respect international laws that protect the premises of the UN -A humanitarian workers.
“The initial investigation of this incident did not find a connection with IDF,” said Jonathan Harounoff, a spokesman for UN -U Israel, referring to Israeli defense forces. He added: “Our only targets are Hamas terrorists whose Raison d’Atra is to kill and abduct the Israelites, use gazans as human shields and use UN objects as launch of pads and weapons warehouses.”
The United Nations claimed that Israel was targeting their compounds, convoys and workers repeatedly in Gaza.
Israel has blocked all the humanitarian aid in Gaza from March 2And with closed border crossings, no food, drug, fuel or clean water in which two million people relieve basic assistance for weeks did not enter the zone.
Israel said he blocked help and continued air attacks, breaking fragile truck The agreement with Hamas, because the militant group, which led on October 7, 2023, was an attack on Israel that began the war, refused to release the remaining hostages he seized. Of the 59 remaining hostages in Gaza, it is believed that there are less than half of the living.
Mr. Dujarric said the Israeli strikes were also aiming for ambulances and medical workers trying to save survivors from air attacks.
