United Nations, Sep 18: The head of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has said Israeli tanks fired on an aid convoy on a mission to northern Gaza. Posting on X on Wednesday, he wrote that a WHO-led convoy encountered two Israeli tanks while on the way back from a mission last Saturday. Shots were fired from the tanks near the convoy, he said, adding that the convoy had received clearance.
Nobody was hurt during the incident, he said. "This is unacceptable," he said, noting that humanitarian workers in Gaza deliver critical aid "amid extreme danger and life-threatening conditions". He added: "The minimum they deserve for their service is safety.
The deconfliction mechanism needs to be adhered to. Ceasefire!" "Last Saturday, on the way back from a mission to the northern #Gaza and after a @WHO led convoy got clearance and crossed the coast road checkpoint, the convoy encountered two Israeli tanks. Shots were fired from the tanks near the convoy.
Luckily nobody was hurt. This is unacceptable," the WHO Chief said. The incident came just a week after the United Nations said that a convoy carrying workers for a polio vaccination campaign in Gaza had been held at gunpoint at an Israeli military checkpoint.
During that encounter, in the context of a massive vaccination campaign after the first case of polio in 25 years was registered in the Palestinian territory, shots were fired and convoy vehicles were rammed by a bulldozer, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric s.