Jerusalem
CNN
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The Israeli military has called on the United Nations to investigate the presence of militants at the facility in southern Gaza after releasing a video showing armed men at the facility.
Drone footage released by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Tuesday and whose location was obtained by CNN shows gunmen near a UN-marked vehicle at the UNRWA logistics facility in Rafah, which has been a key aid distribution hub. It shows him being there. The Israeli military said the video was taken on May 11, three days before the IDF released it. CNN cannot independently confirm the date the video was taken.
UNRWA, the UN’s main agency operating in Gaza, said it could not “confirm the authenticity or content” of the video, but said it was “likely” to show the UNRWA warehouse that was evacuated last week. Ta.
“UNRWA condemns the use of United Nations facilities for military/combat purposes by parties to the conflict. We have repeatedly called for an independent investigation and accountability for the blatant disregard for the lives, facilities and operations of United Nations personnel.” said UNRWA spokesperson Juliet Touma in a statement. “We reiterate our call to all parties to the conflict to respect the sanctity and neutrality of United Nations facilities. Under no circumstances should weapons be possessed or used inside United Nations facilities. yeah.”
Touma said UNRWA staff were ordered to evacuate the facility last week “for their own safety” following an Israeli military evacuation order for parts of eastern Rafah. Thoma said UNRWA officials left vehicles and flour at the facility.
The Israeli military said COGAT, the Israeli agency responsible for coordinating humanitarian aid to Gaza, had shared the military’s findings with “senior officials of the international community,” including UN officials.
“This is an alarming phenomenon,” IDF spokesman Maj. Nir Dinar told CNN. “This is not the first time we have seen armed personnel in UN facilities and vehicles.”
Dinar said Israeli forces “did not attack because it was clear that the militants and vehicles were inside the UN compound and near UN personnel.” However, the IDF has carried out attacks on UN facilities in the past, including on the same facility east of Rafah in March, according to a video of the attack released by the IDF at the time.
It is unclear whether the gunmen seen in the Israeli Defense Forces’ drone footage are members of Hamas or other extremist groups in Gaza.
The Israeli military released the video a day after a UN-marked vehicle crashed in Rafah, killing one UN staff member and injuring another. The United Nations said it believed a tank fired on the vehicle, and the Israeli military said the incident was “under investigation.”
