Israeli tank targeted UN vehicle in Gaza, killing Indian officer — UN

The United Nations has given more details about Monday's deadly attack on a UN convoy in besieged Gaza, saying an Israeli tank attacked a clearly marked UN vehicle, killing a security officer from India and wounding a security officer from Jordan.

The United Nations has no doubt that shots from an Israeli tank hit the back of a white UN vehicle en route to the European hospital in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, but wants to know the circumstances, said UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq on Tuesday.

He told reporters that the UN Department of Safety and Security, which employed the two staffers, has set up a fact-finding panel and the United Nations is in discussion with Israeli authorities.

Israel drew international outrage last month for killing seven charity aid workers in Gaza with a series of drone strikes targeting their vehicles, which were also clearly marked.

Haq identified the UN staff member killed as Waibhav Anil Kale. He is the first international employee of the United Nations to be killed in the current war in Gaza.

On his LinkedIn page, Kale said he left the Indian army as a deputy sector commander in July 2022 and then worked for Amazon as a programme manager until June 2023. He joined the UN in April as a security coordination officer. Indian media said he was 46 and a retired army colonel.

Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs identified the wounded UN staffer as Yara Dababneh and said a Jordanian military aircraft would fly her from Jerusalem — where she was being transferred — to Amman for treatment at Al-Hussein Medical City, a military medical complex.

"She’s receiving medical attention," Haq said. "We believe that she will make it through."