UNITED NATIONS, March 19 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations is attempting to determine the cause of a fatal explosion, which left one UN worker dead and five others severely wounded, on Wednesday at UN guesthouses during the renewed Israeli bombing in Gaza, a UN spokesman said.
Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said the UN chief is deeply saddened and shocked to learn of the death of a UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) staff member when an explosion hit two UN guesthouses in Deir al Balah. Five other UN personnel were seriously injured, one of them critically.
He said the locations of all UN premises in Gaza are known to the parties to the conflict, who are bound by international law to protect them and maintain their absolute inviolability. The Israeli military denied attacking the compound.
"This was not an accident, this was an incident," said UNOPS Executive Director Jorge Moreira da Silva. "What's happening in Gaza is unconscionable. I am shocked and devastated by this tragic news."
UNOPS said in a statement that the explosion, which took place at around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday local time following Tuesday's strikes, caused damage to the premises.
"There is no confirmation at this stage as to the nature of the incident, however the location is isolated," it said.
"What we do know is that an explosive ordnance was dropped or fired at the infrastructure and detonated inside the building," UNOPS said. "We don't know at this stage what type it was (airdrop weapons, artillery, or rocket). It should be stressed that it was not through any action removing unexploded ordnance at the location."
Three of the injured UNOPS personnel worked in support of the UN Mine Action Service Occupied Palestinian Territory program. Two others worked in support of the UN 2720 Mechanism for Gaza.
The head of UNOPS stressed that attacks against humanitarian premises are a breach of international law, and called for the resumption of the ceasefire.
Wednesday's strike has brought the number of UN personnel killed in Gaza since Oct. 7 2023 to at least 280, according to the UN spokesman.
The incident follows reports from Tuesday, which saw the deaths of hundreds, including many children, marking one of the deadliest days in the Strip since late 2023.
The acting special adviser on the prevention of genocide, Virginia Gamba, and the special adviser on the responsibility to protect, Mo Bleeker, said they are gravely concerned by reports of extensive Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday.
They said the developments signal a troubling and dramatic escalation of violence with irreversible consequences. It is essential that the mutual imperatives of the peace process, integrating aspects of prevention and protection are prioritized urgently.
They urged all parties to prioritize the protection of civilians and take immediate steps to de-escalate tensions, prevent further loss of life and engage in a solid political solution. ■
