The Israeli military admitted on Thursday that it mistakenly fired UN employees at a UN facility in Gaza in March.
The military said the building is located in Deir al-Balah in the middle of the Gaza Strip and its targets are “due to suspicion of the existence of the enemy” and “not identified” as the location of the United Nations attack.
The military regrets “this serious incident”.
Preliminary findings indicate that the employee was killed by the tank fire.
“We regret the unintentional harm caused to UN employees and share it in the family,” the statement continued.
According to the United Nations, the attack occurred on March 19 and was seriously injured.
At the time, the Israeli military denied any involvement: “In contrast to reports, the Israeli army did not attack a United Nations building in Deir Al-Balah.” A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry also said there was no link between the preliminary findings and the Israeli operation.
Jorge Moreira da Silva, executive director of the United Nations Office of Project Services, said the strike occurred in front of and around the factory, prompting the group to remind the Israeli military. He said the locations involved in the efforts to stand out are well known to Israeli forces.
