Unicef says one of its vehicles was hit by “live ammunition” while waiting to enter northern Gaza from the south of the territory on Wednesday.
In a statement released on X, Unicef says the “incident has been raised with relevant Israeli authorities.”
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“Sadly, humanitarians continue to face risks in delivering lifesaving aid,” the statement added. “Unless humanitarian aid workers are protected, in accordance with IHL, humanitarian aid cannot reach people in need.”
Shortly after the statement was posted, the humanitarian agency shared a video narrating what happened and showing the bullet holes in one of their vehicles.
Unicef was supposed to bring relief and supplies to a hospital and a health centre where children are dying from malnutrition, the organisation’s spokesperson Tess Ingram said in the video. They also came with a truck of fuel meant to power two water locations in north Gaza.
At a holding point, however, the Unicef convoy encountered a problem with a truck carrying nutrition supplies. While the issue is being sorted, active shooting broke out in the area — and their car was hit “with a few bullets”, Ingram said.
“Our staff are safe,” Unicef confirmed. “But the immense difficulties of delivering aid are making it nearly impossible to meet children’s immediate needs, which are growing by the minute.”
Concerns about humanitarian groups’ safety in war-torn Gaza are mounting — following the death of seven aid workers of World Central Kitchen. An Israeli enquiry into the incident found serious errors and breaches of procedure by the military, with the result that two officers have been dismissed and senior commanders formally reprimanded.
(With inputs from Wam)