'What the hell?': Israel kills 178 aid workers in Palestine this year

More aid workers have been killed this year than in any year since tallies began, the UN humanitarian office has said, with most of them killed in Israel's brutal war on Gaza.

So far this year, there have been 281 aid worker victims, according to the Aid Worker Security database, which records incidents dating back to 1997. The previous record was 280 in 2023.

Israel's devastating war on Gaza, which has claimed 333 aid workers since October 7, 2023, has driven the total fatalities in the occupied Palestinian territories this year to 178 —making it the deadliest conflict for the United Nations — while 25 aid workers have also been killed in Sudan.

In the same period, at least 226 health workers were killed in Lebanon by Israeli attacks, according to the World Health Organization.

"These people are doing God's work, and they're being killed in response. What the hell?" said Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Humanitarian Office (OCHA), at a Geneva press briefing.

'Devastating' violence

Most of the victims were local staff, while 13 of them were international aid workers, he added.

Aid workers enjoy protection under international humanitarian law but experts cite few precedents for such cases going to trial, with concerns about ensuring future access for aid groups and difficulty proving intent cited as impediments.

"This violence is unconscionable and devastating to aid operations," said UN aid chief Tom Fletcher in a statement.

"States and parties to conflict must protect humanitarians, uphold international law, prosecute those responsible, and call time on this era of impunity," he said.