UN to reduce its ‘footprint in Gaza’ as Israel targets its sites

The UN secretary-general has decided to “reduce the Organization’s footprint in Gaza” after Israel hit a UN compound in Deir Al-Balah on Wednesday last week, his spokesperson said yesterday.

Stephane Dujarric said that “even as humanitarian needs soar and our concern over the protection of civilians intensifies”, “the Secretary-General has taken the difficult decision to reduce the Organization’s footprint in Gaza.”

This comes as “Israel carried out devastating strikes on Gaza, claiming the lives of hundreds of civilians, including United Nations personnel, with no humanitarian aid being allowed to enter the Strip since early March.”

Based on information currently available, the UN said, the strikes hitting a UN compound in Deir Al-Balah on 19 March were caused by an Israeli tank. The strikes claimed the life of a UN staffer from Bulgaria and left six others – from France, Moldova, North Macedonia, Palestine and the United Kingdom – with severe injuries, some of them life-altering.

“The location of this UN compound was well known to the parties to the conflict,” Dujarric added. “I reiterate that all parties to the conflict are bound by international law to protect the absolute inviolability of UN premises.”

“The denial of lifesaving aid must end,” he continued.

READ: UNRWA: 124,000 displaced in Gaza in a few days