(MENAFN) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed profound sadness over the death of a staff member from the UN Department of Safety and Security (DSS) and the injury of another in an attack in Gaza, according to his deputy spokesman on Monday.
The incident occurred on Monday morning when their UN-marked vehicle was targeted as they were en route to the European Hospital in Rafah, stated 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," Haq remarked.
Amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which has inflicted significant harm not only on civilians but also on humanitarian workers, the secretary-general reiterated his urgent plea for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire and for the release of all hostages, Haq added.
The DSS staff member's death marks the first loss of an international UN staff member in Gaza since October 7, 2023. Tragically, approximately 190 Palestinian UN staffers have lost their lives.
Haq mentioned that the names and nationalities of the deceased and injured DSS staffers were being withheld as the United Nations was in the process of notifying the relevant governments and family members.
He also stated that the UN is endeavoring to gather details about the incident, noting that the DSS staffers were carrying out their routine duties of assessing security conditions in various locations.
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