Wed Sep 11 22:27:37 UTC 2024: ## UNRWA Staff Killed in Gaza School Strike, UN Calls for Accountability

**Gaza City, Palestine** – The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has condemned the deaths of six of its staffers in Israeli air strikes that hit a school in central Gaza, calling the incident “tragic” and stating that “no one is safe.” The agency stated on X that the school was being used as an UNRWA emergency shelter, providing food, medicine, and social services for displaced people.

The Israeli military claimed that the strikes targeted Hamas militants planning attacks from inside the school, but this claim could not be independently verified. Hamas reported at least 18 deaths, including the UNRWA staff, while hospital officials confirmed 14 fatalities and 18 injuries.

UNRWA Director Bill Deere called the incident “another representation of what we think is seemingly no bottom to this tragedy,” stating that the agency has lost a total of 220 colleagues since the beginning of the war in Gaza. This marks the deadliest conflict in UN history in terms of UN staff casualties.

The incident has further sparked international calls for accountability. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed outrage over the killing of humanitarian workers, stating that the “lack of accountability for the killing of United Nations staff and humanitarian aid workers in the Gaza Strip is totally unacceptable.” He called for an effective investigation and consequences for those responsible.

Meanwhile, ongoing ceasefire negotiations in Doha, Qatar, have so far failed to reach an agreement to end the eleven-month-old conflict. The war in Gaza began after a Hamas terror attack on Israel on October 7, resulting in over 1,200 Israeli deaths and 250 hostages. The Israeli offensive has reportedly caused over 41,000 Palestinian deaths and 95,000 injuries.

The conflict continues to raise concerns about the safety of civilians and the protection of humanitarian workers in Gaza. The international community remains under pressure to find a solution to the ongoing violence and secure a lasting peace in the region.

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