The aid worker of the United Nations (UN) who was killed while travelling in a vehicle to a hospital in the Khan Younis area from the Rafah region has been identified as an Indian national.
Waibhav Anil Kale (46) was a former Indian Army personnel.
Farhan Haq, Deputy spokesperson of the United Nations Secretary-General in a statement on Monday night announced the identity of the deceased aid worker.
According to the statement of the UN official, Waibhav Anil Kale joined the United Nations as the security service coordinator a month ago in Gaza.
Sources in the UN agencies told IANS that Kale was travelling in a vehicle marked as that of the United Nations.
However, the UN sources said that it was not unclear who fired at the vehicle in which Waibhav Anil Kale was travelling with another UN aid worker.
This marks the first such UN death in the Gaza conflict.
The IDF has already said that it is probing the firing and the death of the UN aid worker. In a statement late Monday night, IDF said that the attack occurred in an active combat zone and that it was investigating the attack and death of the UN aid worker.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condoles death of security staffer in Gaza
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condoled the death of a UN Department of Safety and Security (DSS) staff member and injury to another DSS staffer in an attack in Gaza, said his Deputy Spokesman.
The incident occurred on Monday morning when their UN-marked vehicle was struck as they were on their way to the European Hospital in Rafah, said Farhan Haq, the Deputy Spokesman.
"The Secretary-General condemns all attacks on UN personnel and calls for a full investigation. He sends his condolences to the family of the fallen staff member," he added as quoted by Xinhua news agency report.
With the conflict in Gaza continuing to take a heavy toll -- not only on civilians but also on humanitarian workers -- the Secretary-General reiterates his urgent appeal for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire and the release of all hostages, said Haq.
The DSS staffer became the first international staff member of the United Nations killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023. Nearly 190 Palestinian UN staffers have lost their lives.
The names and nationalities of the DSS staffers killed and injured were being withheld as the United Nations was in the process of informing the relevant governments and the relevant family members, the Deputy Spokesman added.
He said the world body is trying to get details of the incident.
The DSS staffers were doing their regular work of going to different locations to assess security conditions, he said.
(With inputs from IANS)
