UN vehicle ‘came under fire from Israeli tank’
A MEMBER of United Nations staff was killed and another injured when an Israeli tank fired on their clearly marked car in Gaza, the UN has said.
Former Indian army officer Colonel Anil Waibhav Kale, 46, died on Monday after his vehicle came under attack near the city of Rafah. He was the first UN worker killed in Gaza since the start of the conflict.
The UN yesterday said it had “no doubt” that shots from an Israeli tank hit the back of the car.
The two staffers were employed by the UN Department of Safety and Security, which has set up a fact-finding panel to look into the incident. The UN had earlier said the workers were travelling to the European Hospital near Rafah and that the vehicle’s planned movements had been announced in advance to Israeli authorities.
The Israeli military said an initial inquiry indicated the vehicle was struck in an active combat zone and it had not been made aware of its route.
Col Kale had a distinguished 22-year career in the Indian army.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security, Gilles Michaud, said: “He told me he had joined the UN because it seemed the best way to make a difference. He signed up to work in support of people who desperately need help; in the most dangerous place, at a time of unimaginable crisis.
“This speaks volumes about his character.”
The news came as it emerged the White House has told Congress it wants to send £1billion in military aid to Israel.
Last month six international aid workers and a Palestinian colleague from food charity World Central Kitchen were killed in an Israeli strike that led to the IDF sacking two senior officers.