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US expresses concern over attack that killed foreign UN worker in Rafah

File - A United Nations vehicle on the Egyptian side of Rafah, which connects to the Gaza Strip


File – A United Nations vehicle on the Egyptian side of Rafah, which connects to the Gaza Strip – Europa Press/Contact/Ahmed Zakot – Archive

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May 14. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The United States Government has expressed concern over the attack on a United Nations vehicle in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, which resulted in the death of a foreign worker from the UN Department of Security (UNDS).

“The United States is deeply concerned about the attack on a United Nations vehicle in Gaza that killed one humanitarian worker and injured another,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on the social network X on Tuesday.

In this sense, he recalled that humanitarian workers “must be protected” while they carry out work to save lives in the enclave. “We join the calls for a full investigation into this incident,” Miller added.

The Israeli Army has reported that it is already investigating the incident and has specified that the vehicle in which the worker was traveling was hit “in an area defined as an active combat zone.” He also indicated to The Times of Israel that the route was not known in advance to the Israeli forces and he declined to confirm who opened fire.

The office of the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, confirmed the death of the worker the day before and added that a second was injured, while detailing that the vehicle was hit “when it was heading to the European Hospital in Rafá”, according to the Guterres deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq.

Haq indicated that he would be the first foreign worker of the organization to die since the beginning of the Israeli offensive after the attacks carried out by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on October 7, which left 1,200 dead and 240 hostages.

Israel has increased its bombings against Rafah in recent weeks and on May 7 it took control of the Palestinian side of the border crossing, suspending humanitarian operations, which has increased international concern about the deepening humanitarian crisis in the area. enclave.

The authorities of the Gaza Strip, controlled by Hamas, have estimated this Tuesday at around 35,200 Palestinians dead due to the offensive launched by the Israeli Army against the enclave in response to the attacks by Palestinian militias on October 7. .

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