Israel asks why armed men were at UN site amid fighting
Antagonism between Israel and the United Nations worsened as the Israeli army sought an explanation for footage showing armed men next to UN Palestinian relief agency vehicles.
Israeli forces have in recent days pressed into the east of Rafah in pursuit of what they say are four Hamas battalions despite warnings by Israel’s main ally, the United States, to hold off to avoid civilian casualties.
Caught on 📸: Terrorists roaming and shooting at an @UNRWA compound, accompanied by @UN vehicles.
The compound is located in eastern Rafah and is a central point for the distribution of aid on UNRWA’s behalf of Gaza.@cogatonline conveyed the findings to senior officials in… pic.twitter.com/E6rQfN482A
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 14, 2024
Reuters verified the location of video released by the Israeli army but could not verify when it was filmed or the identity of the men.
“The UN has in part become a terrorist entity in itself because it co-operates with Hamas and covers for it,” Israel’s ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan told Army Radio.
UNRWA has denied co-operating with Hamas.
An UNRWA representative said the agency could not verify the authenticity or content of the video or the exact timing or location but it was likely that the video showed an UNRWA warehouse in Rafah that staff left in the week of May 6.
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters the men were there to protect aid distribution.
“These are false allegations and lies. This is a police force tasked with securing aid centres against acts of theft and looting,” Abu Zuhri said.
AAP
