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United Nations Aid Agency Suspends Gaza Operations

by Mary Richard | January 8, 2009 at 07:40 am

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The United Nations is halting all aid deliveries to Gaza, after two of their drivers were shot dead by Israeli fire.

GAZA, Jan 8 (Reuters) - A United Nations aid agency said on Thursday it suspended its operations in the Gaza Strip because of the risk posed by Israeli forces in the territory. "UNRWA decided to suspend all its operations in the Gaza Strip because of the increasing hostile actions against its premises and personnel," Adnan Abu Hasna, a Gaza-based spokesman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). He did not say how long the suspension would last.

U.N. spokesman Richard Miron said the Israeli army had been notified in advance about the UNRWA convoy, which was hit as it approached the Erez crossing with Israel.

After the incident, all convoys to Erez and the Kerem Shalom commercial crossing were suspended.

An Israeli tank shell on Thursday killed two Palestinian forklift drivers in a convoy for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the U.N. said.

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Uwe Paschen

at 08:04 on January 8th, 2009

Well, now what? let them Starve?

Mary Richard

at 08:20 on January 8th, 2009

I guess so ... newsites are in disagreement about whether it was 1 or 2 drivers killed, but it seems they all agree that the Israeli military had approved the delivery.

"We cannot continue in these circumstances where aid workers ... are being killed and injured, even when they are in direct coordination with the Israeli liaison people, who are supposed to ensure their safety." John Ging, top UN refugee official in Gaza, told al-Jazeera TV.

Wasn't there an attack yesterday during that 3 hour cease fire as well?

Dan Finnan

at 10:17 on January 8th, 2009

Christopher Gunness, UNWRA, Gaza:

“We have suspended operations because our staff, installations, convoys – are coming under increasing, and intolerable attacks by the Israeli army,”

Source: RFI

Karen Hatter

at 10:48 on January 8th, 2009

As the Israeli Army was informed of the planned delivery to be made by the UNRWA convoy, this was an inhumane and cowardly attack.

Emilio Lizardo

at 11:21 on January 8th, 2009

Geneva Convention (IV) Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, August 12, 1949

Article 18.
Civilian hospitals organized to give care to the wounded and sick, the infirm and maternity cases, may in no circumstances be the object of attack but shall at all times be respected and protected by the Parties to the conflict.

Article 21.
Convoys of vehicles or hospital trains on land or specially provided vessels on sea, conveying wounded and sick civilians, the infirm and maternity cases, shall be respected and protected in the same manner as the hospitals provided for in Article 18, and shall be marked, with the consent of the State, by the display of the distinctive emblem provided for in Article 38 of the Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field of 12 August 1949.

Rob Walker

at 12:37 on January 8th, 2009

The International Committee of the Red Cross is calling for round-the-clock access for emergency personnel.

Ambulances in Gaza must be given systematic round-the-clock access to the wounded so that they can save as many lives as possible, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said Thursday.

"Medical emergency personnel...must be granted safe unlimited passage so that they can reach the wounded, treat them and, if necessary, evacuate them to a medical facility," ICRC President Jakob Kellenberger said in a statement.