The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) says it is suspending humanitarian operations in Gaza after Israeli forces opened fire on a “clearly marked” UN aid convoy.
The WFP said in a statement that the aid vehicles had received “multiple clearances by Israeli authorities to approach” a checkpoint before Israeli forces opened fire, striking a vehicle 10 times.
Israel has opened fire on humanitarian workers throughout the course of its war in Gaza.
“Though this is not the first security incident to occur during the war, it is the first time that a WFP vehicle has been directly shot at near a checkpoint, despite securing the necessary clearances,” WFP said.
It said the vehicle was a “few metres” from the Israeli checkpoint when it was hit.
WFP’s Executive director Cindy McCain described the Israeli attack on the organisation’s humanitarian aid convoy near a military checkpoint in Gaza as “unacceptable”.
McCain said it was “the latest in a series of unnecessary security incidents that have endangered the lives of WFP’s team in Gaza”.
“As last night’s events show, the current deconfliction system is failing and this cannot go on any longer. I call on the Israeli authorities and all parties to the conflict to act immediately to ensure the safety and security of all aid workers in Gaza,” she said – Agencies
