Call to protect civilians and humanitarian staff after UNDP’s Issam al-Mughrabi, his wife, children and scores of relatives killed
An Israeli airstrike has killed a veteran aid worker and more than 70 members of an extended family in Gaza, the UN agency that employed him said, calling for an urgent ceasefire to protect civilians and humanitarian workers.
Issam al-Mughrabi, 56, died with his wife, Lamya’a, five children and scores of other relatives in an attack near Gaza City, the head of the UN Development Programme said. He had worked for the UNDP for nearly 30 years.
“The loss of Issam and his family has deeply affected us all,” the UNDP administrator Achim Steiner said. “The UN and civilians in Gaza are not a target. This war must end. No more families should endure the pain and suffering that Issam’s family and countless others are experiencing.”
The children were named as Mohammad, Suad, Lama, Luai and Obaideh, with the youngest aged 13, and the oldest, 32.
News of their deaths came soon after the UN passed a resolution calling for a massive increase in aid shipments to Gaza. However, it did not demand a suspension of hostilities, after the US said it would veto any resolution that did.
Instead, it appealed only for the creation of “conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities”. The US insisted on removing a clause giving the UN exclusive control of humanitarian deliveries.
Israel has said it will keep fighting until it has reached its goal of “destroying Hamas”, and needs to check all aid deliveries for security reasons. The US, its staunchest and most important ally, says Israel has a right to defend itself.
