Thu Sep 12 06:22:59 UTC 2024: ## Six UNRWA Staff Killed in Airstrike on Gaza School, Raising Concerns Over Civilian Casualties

**GAZA CITY** – The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has confirmed the deaths of six of its staff members in an airstrike on a school in central Gaza on Wednesday. The agency described the incident as the highest death toll among its staff in a single event.

The school, which housed approximately 12,000 displaced civilians, primarily women and children, had been struck five times since the beginning of the conflict, according to UNRWA. Among the deceased were the manager of the UNRWA shelter and other team members assisting displaced people.

The Israeli military claimed the strike targeted a command and control center operated by the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Nuseirat, central Gaza. However, the Hamas-run government media office reported at least 18 casualties, including the UNRWA staff members.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concern over the incident, calling the lack of accountability for the deaths of UN staff and humanitarian workers “totally unacceptable.”

The Israeli military maintains that it takes measures to minimize civilian casualties and claims that at least one-third of the Palestinian fatalities in Gaza are militants. They accuse Hamas of using civilians as human shields, a claim that Hamas denies.

The ongoing conflict began on October 7th when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, resulting in the deaths of over 1,200 Israelis and the capture of approximately 250 hostages. Israel’s subsequent counteroffensive in Gaza has claimed the lives of over 41,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

The deaths of UNRWA staff highlight the growing concerns about civilian casualties in the conflict. The international community is calling for an immediate end to hostilities and a return to dialogue to resolve the conflict peacefully.

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