UN Gaza Relief Facility Airstrike Causes Multiple Deaths... "Protect Civilians and Medical Staff"

As UN-run relief facilities in the Gaza Strip came under airstrike, casualties surged.

The southern Gaza Strip's Khan Yunis area under airstrike [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on the 26th (local time), more than 13 Palestinians were killed when shells fell on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) vocational training center (KYTC) in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip, on the 24th.

KYTC is a facility where the UN supports vocational training to enhance the self-reliance capabilities of Palestinian residents. Since the outbreak of the war last October, it has also been used as a relief shelter accommodating a large number of displaced people.

OCHA stated, "About 43,000 displaced persons are living in KYTC, and approximately 800 people were staying in the woodworking workshop within KYTC where the shells fell."

OCHA also explained that there was an airstrike near the facility on the 22nd, resulting in six deaths.

The Israeli military designated KYTC as a facility where civilians could evacuate from the early stages of the war, but the UN pointed out that in reality, it remains exposed to the risk of airstrikes.

OCHA added, "The Israeli military has informed us that they are investigating the circumstances of the airstrike at KYTC," and "they claim that the damage was not caused by their own airstrikes or shelling."

As many injured people emerged from this facility protecting over 40,000 displaced persons, the World Health Organization (WHO) repeatedly urged the protection of civilians and medical personnel.

In a statement, WHO said, "We assisted in transferring 45 injured patients from KYTC to medical facilities, but we were unable to move all the injured," and "Among the 15 critically ill patients transferred, one died during transport."

They added, "All civilians and healthcare workers in the Gaza Strip must be protected," and "An immediate ceasefire is necessary to make this possible."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.