WFP suspends staff movements in Gaza after Israeli forces attack its team

UN nutrient bureau says it’s the archetypal clip successful the 10-month-long warfare that 1 of its vehicles has been straight changeable astatine adjacent a checkpoint.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has announced a intermission successful the question of its employees successful the Gaza Strip “until further notice” aft 1 of its vehicles was deed by gunfire conscionable metres from an Israeli-controlled checkpoint.

The incidental took spot connected Tuesday nighttime arsenic the conveyance was approaching the Wadi Gaza Bridge checkpoint.

“None of the employees onboard were physically harmed,” the WFP said successful a statement.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters successful New York that the “clearly marked” humanitarian conveyance was “struck 10 times” by Israeli gunfire, including with bullets targeting beforehand windows.

Five of the bullets were connected the driver’s broadside and immoderate connected the windscreen.

The squad was returning from a ngo to Karem Abu Salem, known arsenic Kerem Shalom to Israelis, with 2 WFP armoured vehicles aft escorting a convoy of trucks carrying humanitarian cargo connected the mode to Gaza’s cardinal area.

Dujarric said the convoy’s movements had been coordinated with the Israeli subject and it had clearance to approach.

“This is the latest incidental to underscore that systems successful spot for coordination are not working,” helium said, adding that “we volition proceed to enactment with the IDF to guarantee that incidents similar that bash not hap again”.

WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain described the onslaught arsenic “unacceptable” and said it was “the latest successful a bid of unnecessary incidents that person endangered the lives” of her squad members successful Gaza.

“As past night’s events show, the existent deconfliction strategy is failing and this cannot spell connected immoderate longer,” she added.

The WFP called connected Israeli authorities and each parties to the struggle to guarantee the information and information of each assistance workers successful Gaza.

It added that portion is not the archetypal information incidental the WFP squad has faced during the war, it is the archetypal clip that 1 of its conveyance has been straight changeable astatine adjacent a checkpoint, contempt securing the indispensable clearances, arsenic per modular protocol.