Tragic Gaza Airstrikes: UNRWA Staff Among the Victims

The Israeli military identified nine Hamas militants killed in Gaza airstrikes, which also killed six UNRWA staffers. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack, urging an investigation. The school serving as a shelter was also implicated. The conflict has resulted in significant casualties on both sides.

The Israeli military on Thursday identified nine men it described as Hamas militants killed in Gaza airstrikes. The U.N. Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA noted that the strikes also resulted in the death of six of its staff members.

Among the Hamas dead, three were also UNRWA workers, the military claimed, although Reuters couldn't verify this independently. UNRWA confirmed six staffers' death in two airstrikes on a central Gaza school, the highest toll in a single incident. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack and called for an independent investigation.

Guterres emphasized the lack of protection for Gaza civilians, with reports of at least 18 casualties in the attack. UNRWA revealed the school served as shelter, while the Israeli military alleged it was used by Hamas. Both sides provided conflicting accounts over the identities of those killed.

(With inputs from agencies.)