UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 15 (APP): Six United Nations workers were killed in an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced Palestinian families in Gaza, adding to the growing toll on humanitarian workers and civilians as the region faces renewed tensions.
The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said its staff and civilians were killed at a school being used as a shelter. At least 220 UNRWA workers have now been killed in Gaza since Israel’s war began in October 2023.
UNRWA Acting Commissioner-General Christian Saunders said the safety of humanitarian workers, facilities and operations had been repeatedly ignored during the conflict. He warned that continued impunity could weaken respect for international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.
According to the UN humanitarian office OCHA, 1,334 people have been killed and 4,429 injured in Gaza since the fragile ceasefire agreement of Oct. 10, 2025, according to local authorities.
OCHA said Israeli airstrikes, shelling and other military operations continued across Gaza over the weekend, particularly in areas west of the so-called “yellow line” established during the ceasefire. Attacks on populated areas have caused further casualties, damaged property and forced more families from their homes.
The humanitarian situation remains bleak. Around nine out of every 10 people in Gaza are internally displaced, many of them several times. Overcrowded shelters, poor sanitation and limited access to clean water are increasing the threat of disease.
The World Health Organization said about one in four people in Gaza are likely to need ongoing medical care, including those suffering from severe injuries, amputations, burns and head or spinal injuries.
UNICEF also reported the deaths and injuries of several children in recent attacks, including siblings killed with their parents and other children reportedly killed or wounded by airstrikes and gunfire. “The killing must stop,” the agency said.
Meanwhile, tensions are also rising in Lebanon. UNIFIL peacekeepers reported Israeli military activity on land, in the air and at sea. They observed drones dropping explosive-filled jerrycans near Al Mansuri and recorded at least 32 airstrikes in their area of operations over four days.
UN officials also raised concerns over restrictions on peacekeepers’ movement, stressing that UNIFIL must be allowed to perform its mission without obstruction.
