The UN food agency said it was suspending staff movements in the Gaza Strip “until further notice” after one of its staff members was shot near an Israeli checkpoint.
The World Food Programme (WFP) said in a statement that the incident occurred on Tuesday evening at the Wadi Gaza Bridge as two of its armoured vehicles were escorting a convoy of trucks carrying humanitarian aid.
The WFP said no one was injured but that one vehicle sustained a direct hit, even though the convoy was clearly marked and had “received multiple authorizations from Israel.”
The BBC has contacted the Israel Defense Forces for comment on the matter.
In a statement on Wednesday, the WFP said: “The team was returning from a mission to Kerem Shalom/Karam Abu Salem with two WFP armoured vehicles after escorting a convoy of trucks carrying humanitarian supplies towards central Gaza.”
A WFP vehicle was then reportedly “hit by a direct hit while travelling towards an IDF checkpoint.”
“The vehicle was struck by at least 10 gunshots, five in the driver’s side, two in the passenger side and three in other parts of the vehicle. No employees inside the vehicle were physically injured.”
WFP added that while this is not the first security incident during the war, it is the first time that a WFP vehicle has come under direct fire near a checkpoint, despite having the necessary authorization.
“This incident is a stark reminder that the humanitarian space in the Gaza Strip is rapidly and increasingly shrinking, with increasing violence undermining our ability to deliver life-saving assistance,” it said.
Executive Director Cindy McCain called the incident “completely unacceptable.”
“I call on the Israeli authorities and all parties to the conflict to act immediately to ensure the safety and security of all aid workers in the Gaza Strip,” she added.
Earlier, the United Nations said humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip were continuing after a senior official said they had been halted on Monday following Israeli orders to withdraw troops.
Spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Tuesday night that the situation “makes it extremely difficult to do our job” but “we are doing the best we can with what we have.”
On Sunday, UN staff had to scramble to move after the Israeli army ordered the evacuation of parts of Israeli-designated humanitarian areas around the central town of Deir al-Balah, where the UN’s main operational base is located.
The army said it acted to protect civilians as it carried out operations against Hamas “terrorist activists” in the area.
It also said it was working with the United Nations and other international organisations to find alternative locations to continue its operations.
According to the United Nations, the main provider and distributor of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip, evacuation orders have been issued for up to 88.5 percent of the Gaza Strip since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas.
As a result, an estimated 1.8 million people have been forced to flee into the humanitarian area, which currently covers just 41 square kilometers (15.8 square miles) and lacks critical infrastructure and basic services.
The Israeli military launched an operation to destroy Hamas in Gaza following an unprecedented attack in southern Israel on October 7 that left some 1,200 people dead and 251 taken hostage.
More than 40,500 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Strip Health Ministry.
Under-Secretary-General for Security Affairs Gilles Michaud said on Tuesday night that the IDF had given more than 200 U.N. staff hours’ notice to leave their offices and residences in the southern city of Deir ez-Zor Bara on Sunday.
The UN humanitarian affairs office said the order affects 15 UN and NGO facilities, four UN warehouses, a desalination plant and Al-Aqsa Hospital, the town’s main medical facility.
“The timing couldn’t be worse because a large-scale polio vaccination campaign is scheduled to begin next week, requiring large numbers of staff to enter the area,” Michaud said.
The United Nations plans to vaccinate 640,000 children after a 10-month-old baby was left partially paralyzed by a water-borne disease – the first confirmed case in Gaza in 25 years.
The government has asked the warring parties to implement two seven-day humanitarian pauses to allow for the successful implementation of the vaccination campaign.
The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement on Wednesday that it had been forced to order the evacuation of the city of Deir ez-Zor and surrounding areas to carry out “essential operations” against Hamas “terrorist activists” and their infrastructure.
The organization also stressed that it was working “in full coordination with the international community to keep vital international facilities, such as evacuation centres, relief supply warehouses and housing, operational.”
“However, given their cynical exploitation by Hamas and other terrorist organisations, there may be cases where these centres need to be evacuated.”
The IDF said it would take steps to help UN agencies and NGOs find alternative bases to continue their operations and provide alternative aid routes.
Also in Deir al-Baraf on Wednesday, local doctors said at least eight Palestinians were killed in an airstrike near a school housing displaced people in the town.
Eleven more people were reported killed in an attack in the southern city of Khan Yunis, where Israeli tanks were reportedly driving into the city centre.
