Adele Khodr, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, shared photos of the vehicles that were attacked on her social media account. Khodr stated that two UNICEF vehicles that were on their way to reunite 5 children with their fathers in the Gaza Valley region were attacked.
Khodr, who reported that some bullets hit the vehicles as a result of the gunfire, said there were no injuries as a result of the attack. Khodr, who drew attention to the fact that the vehicles bearing inscriptions indicating that they belonged to UNICEF were attacked, stated that the team reunited the children with their fathers.
Khodr said this was the second attack on UNICEF vehicles in Gaza in the past three months, adding, “We reiterate strongly that humanitarian workers are protected under International Humanitarian Law and should not be targeted. Our operations must be facilitated and protected to provide life- saving aid that people and children in Gaza desperately rely on.”
While the UNICEF official did not provide information on who carried out the attack, Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), reported that Israeli soldiers opened fire on a UN convoy in the Gaza Valley on July 21 and that no one was injured in the attack.
The occupying Israeli army continues its violent attacks in Gaza, while also targeting the UN and other aid organizations. On April 1, 7 employees of the World Central Kitchen (WCK) were killed in an attack on the Deir el-Balah region of Gaza. It was announced that there were 2 armored vehicles bearing the organization’s logo in the de-escalation zone during the attack.
