The UN’s child relief agency, UNICEF, said in a statement on Friday that it was “outraged” after an Israeli attack that morning killed two drivers who were contracted by the agency to “provide clean water to families” in the Gaza Strip, as the IDF continues its constant violations of the US-backed Gaza ceasefire deal.
UNICEF said that “Israeli fire” killed the two drivers and wounded two other people at the Mansoura water filling point in northern Gaza, which serves Palestinians from Gaza City. The statement said that the attack “occurred during routine, water trucking operations, with no changes in movement or procedures.”
“The Mansoura water filling point is currently the only operational truck filling point for the Mekorot water supply line serving Gaza City. UNICEF and humanitarian partners use it multiple times a day to sustain critical water trucking operations for hundreds of thousands of people, including children,” UNICEF said.
The UN agency added that its “contractors have been instructed to suspend onsite activities until security conditions in the area are restored” and urged an investigation of the attack on the water supply, a clear war crime under the Geneva Convention.
“Humanitarian workers, essential service providers, and civilian infrastructure, including critical water facilities, must never be targeted,” UNICEF said. “The protection of civilians and those delivering life-saving assistance is an obligation under international humanitarian law.”
Israeli attacks continued throughout the weekend, with Gaza’s Health Ministry reporting at least eight Palestinians were killed by the IDF over the past three days. According to the ministry’s latest update, the Israeli military has killed at least 775 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 2,171 since the so-called ceasefire deal was signed in early October.
