Thomas White, the Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza, said the agency’s compound in Khan Yunis, Gaza’s second largest city, was the site of “mass casualties” after it was hit by tank fire on Wednesday. The compound displayed the UN flag and served as a refuge for many of the people displaced by war in the territory. The attacks killed at least 13 people and injured 56 more, 21 of whom were critically injured.
White stressed that the compound was supposed to be a safe place for people seeking shelter, saying these attacks exacerbated an already “intolerable and intense” humanitarian crisis in Gaza:
There are 43,000 internally displaced people registered in this massively overcrowded UNRWA shelter, and all of them now find themselves at the epicentre of the war in the Gaza Strip, with their lives in danger as the fighting is so close. Many have already been displaced multiple times and have nowhere else to go.
UNRWA evacuated 45 people after its ambulances and emergency teams were initially denied access to the site. Although they were rescued, there are few places to take injured people for treatment, due to the “near collapse of the health system.”
Article 7 of the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel provides protections for UN workers and people who assist them, saying that “United Nations and associated personnel, their equipment and premises shall not be made the object of attack or of any action that prevents them from discharging their mandate.” It goes on to mandate that states must take “all appropriate measures to ensure the safety and security of United Nations and associated personnel.” The State of Palestine is party to this Convention; Israel is not.
The US, Israel’s biggest supporter and ally, condemned the attacks on the compound. Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the National Security Council, said that the US was “gravely concerned” about the loss of life in Khan Yunis. She said the US still collected information about the incident but stressed that Israel must comply with international humanitarian law in its war with Hamas:
The United States is unwavering in our support for Israel’s right to defend itself, consistent with international humanitarian law, against Hamas terrorists who hide among the civilian population and want to annihilate the State of Israel. But Israel retains a responsibility to protect civilians, including, humanitarian personnel and sites.
Israel denies responsibility for the attack. Reuters reported that the Israeli military initially released a statement describing the compound as a base for Hamas fighters, but released a second statement after the US’s criticism saying a review of its operational systems showed they did not strike the compound. The second statement also suggested that Israel was investigating Hamas for responsibility for the strike.
Israel has long maintained that Hamas operates in civilian areas and has sparred with the UN over UNRWA activities and the UN’s criticism of Israel’s actions. Israel has accused UNRWA of complicity: IDF officials say they found Hamas equipment hidden in UNRWA bags and the agency recently fired 12 employees after they were accused of being involved in Hamas’s October 7 attacks. Israel also denied visa renewals for UN officials, saying the UN’s response to the Hamas attacks was “disgraceful.”
The attacks on Khan Yunis are part of a larger pattern of civilian facilities being at the center of military activity in Gaza, which has killed over 25,000 people. Israeli strikes have hit places like medical facilities and refugee camps, and human rights groups have accused Israel of war crimes. Palestinian rights groups and President Mahmoud Abbas contend that Israel’s actions amount to genocide, and the International Court of Justice recently ordered Israel to “take all measures within its power” to prevent genocide in Gaza.
