The United Nations food agency said it would suspend its staff’s operations in the Gaza corridor “until further notice” after its team was shot at near an Israeli checkpoint.
The World Food Program (WFP) said in a statement that the incident occurred on the Gasawadi Bridge on Tuesday night as two of its armored vehicles were escorting a convoy of trucks carrying humanitarian aid.
The WFP said that while no one was injured, one vehicle was hit directly, despite the convoy being clearly marked and “receiving multiple permissions from Israel”.
The BBC has contacted the Israel Defense Forces for comment.
“The team was returning with two WFP armored vehicles from a mission in Kerem Shalom/Kalam Abu Salem, where they had escorted a humanitarian shipment,” the WFP said in a statement on Wednesday. A convoy of trucks heads to central Gaza.
A WFP vehicle was then allegedly “directly shot at” as it approached an IDF checkpoint.
“At least 10 bullets were struck in the vehicle: 5 on the driver’s side, 2 on the passenger side, and 3 in other parts of the vehicle. None of the employees in the vehicle were injured.”
The WFP added that while this was not the first security incident during the war, it was the first time its vehicles had been directly fired upon near a checkpoint, despite having obtained the necessary permissions.
“This incident is a stark reminder that humanitarian space is rapidly and shrinking in Gaza, where increasing violence undermines our ability to deliver life-saving assistance,” the agency said.
Executive Director Cindy McCain called the incident “completely unacceptable.”
“I call on the Israeli authorities and all parties to the conflict to take immediate action to ensure the safety of all aid workers in Gaza,” she added.
Earlier, the United Nations said humanitarian aid operations in the Gaza Strip were continuing after a senior official said it had been halted on Monday due to an Israeli military withdrawal order.
Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters late Tuesday that the situation “makes our job extremely difficult” but “we are doing the best we can with the resources we have.”
United Nations staff had to be moved quickly on Sunday after the Israeli military issued an evacuation order covering part of the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone around the central town of Deir al-Balah, the United Nations’ main operational hub.
The military said it took action to protect civilians while fighting Hamas “terrorists” in the area.
It also said it was working with the United Nations and other international organizations to find alternative locations for them to continue their activities.
According to the United Nations, as many as 88.5% of the Gaza Strip has been under evacuation orders since the war between Israel and Hamas began.
This has forced an estimated 1.8 million people to seek shelter within the humanitarian zone, which currently covers only about 41 square kilometers (15.8 square miles) and lacks critical infrastructure and basic services.
On October 7, an unprecedented attack occurred in southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 other people hostage. The Israeli military launched an operation to destroy Hamas in Gaza.
Since then, more than 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
On Tuesday night, Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security Giles Michaud said that the Israel Defense Forces had given several hours’ notice on Sunday to move more than 200 United Nations personnel out of their offices and living quarters in the southern area of Deir al-Bala.
The U.N. humanitarian office said the order affected 15 U.N. and NGO sites, as well as four U.N. warehouses, a desalination plant and the town’s main medical facility, Al-Aqsa Hospital.
“The timing couldn’t be worse, with a massive polio vaccination campaign due to begin next week that will require a large number of staff to be in the field,” Michaud said.
A 10-month-old baby has been left partially paralyzed by a water-borne disease, the first registered case in Gaza in 25 years, as the United Nations plans to vaccinate 640,000 children.
It called on the warring parties to implement two seven-day humanitarian pauses so that vaccinations can proceed smoothly.
The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement on Wednesday that it was forced to issue evacuation orders in Deir al-Balah and its surrounding areas to conduct “necessary operations” against Hamas “terrorists” and their infrastructure.
It also stressed that it was “coordinating fully with the international community to protect the activities of important centers of the international community, including shelters, aid stations and shelters”.
“However, given the cynical exploits carried out by Hamas and other terrorist groups, there may be times when it is necessary to evacuate these centers.”
The Israel Defense Forces said it would take action to help United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations find alternative locations to continue their activities and provide alternative aid routes.
Also in Deir al-Balah on Wednesday, local medical officials said at least eight Palestinians were killed in an airstrike near a school housing displaced people in the town.
A further 11 people were reported killed in attacks in the southern city of Khan Younis, where Israeli tanks were said to have moved into the city centre.
