The Israeli military has admitted that its forces were responsible for the death of a United Nations worker in Gaza last month, following an earlier denial.
In a statement released on Thursday, 25 April, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said preliminary findings showed that a tank shell fired by its troops killed Marin Valev Marinov, a Bulgarian employee with the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), during an attack on UN premises in Deir al-Balah on 19 March.
The strike, according to the IDF, was based on a misidentification of the building as housing an “enemy presence,” and it was not recognized as a UN facility at the time.
The IDF expressed “deep sorrow” over the incident and said it had shared its initial findings with the UN, pledging to conduct a full review and take steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.
UNOPS confirmed that the attack struck a fully deconflicted UN compound and described the incident as a “grave violation of international law.” In a statement, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director Jorge Moreira da Silva stressed that humanitarian premises must be protected by all parties and called for full accountability.
Marinov, 51, was killed, and nine others—including six other UN colleagues—were injured during the strike. UN officials reiterated their call for the protection of humanitarian workers, renewed appeals for a ceasefire, and demanded the restoration of unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza.
The attack occurred just a day after Israel resumed its military operations in Gaza following a collapsed ceasefire.
At the time, Israel initially denied targeting any UN facility. However, footage verified by international media showed wounded UN workers arriving at a local hospital, with some wearing blue UN flak jackets.
Gaza’s health ministry reports that more than 51,300 people have been killed since the Israeli military campaign began in October 2023.
Comments (0)