An Israeli air strike near Gaza City has claimed the lives of Issam Al Mughrabi, his wife, and children, as well as more than 70 of his family members, according to the UN.
In unfortunate events, Issam Al Mughrabi, a dedicated United Nations official for three decades, was killed, along with his wife and children in an Israeli air strike on Friday. The death occurred following the intense bombardment since Friday’s UN Security Council resolution which has been criticized for being “woefully insufficient” where hundreds of people lost their lives.
“The loss of Issam and his family has deeply affected us all. The UN and civilians in Gaza are not a target”, UNDP administrator Achim Steiner said in a statement.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Chief of the World Health Organization, expressed his condolences and called for a ceasefire, emphasizing that “humanitarians should never be victims.”
So saddened by this tragedy @ASteiner. My deepest condolences to all who knew and loved Issam and his family, you and everyone at @UNDP.
Humanitarians should never be victims. We need a #CeasefireNOW in #Gaza.https://t.co/E2r6BCQSBl https://t.co/C7NuyHSLcG
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) December 23, 2023
Throughout the UN’s history, Israel’s war on Gaza has claimed the lives of 136 staff members. Notably, the Secretary-general Antonio Guterres showed that the UN had not witnessed the death of their staff in such large numbers.
On Saturday, Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported at least 201 Palestinians killed and nearly 370 wounded by the Israeli forces within the past 24 hours, setting off alarms about the deteriorating situation in Gaza.
More than 8,000 children have been killed in Gaza since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, a loss that continues to deepen the tragedy for thousands of families.
International commentator, Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, in Rafah, southern Gaza, reported that residential areas in Deir el-Balah city and other regions including the Bureij and Nuseirat refugee camps were bombarded.
