Israeli military urges UN probe following video of armed individuals at Gaza UN facility
Following the release of a video showing armed individuals at a UN facility in southern Gaza, the Israeli military is urging the United Nations to conduct an investigation into the presence of armed militants at the site.
The Israeli military has requested the United Nations to investigate the presence of armed militants at a UN facility in southern Gaza. They released a video showing armed men at the facility.
Drone footage, published by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Tuesday and geolocated by CNN, captured the armed men near UN-marked vehicles at an UNRWA logistics facility in Rafah. This facility was crucial for aid distribution. The Israeli military stated that the footage was recorded on May 11, three days before it was released by the IDF. CNN is unable to independently verify the exact date the video was filmed.
UNRWA, the main UN agency in Gaza, stated that it cannot confirm if the video is real, but it is likely showing an UNRWA warehouse that was emptied last week.
The agency's spokeswoman, Juliette Touma, expressed UNRWA's disapproval of using UN buildings for military purposes. She emphasized the importance of investigating and holding accountable those who endanger UN staff and operations. UNRWA urges all parties involved in the conflict to respect the neutrality of UN sites and refrain from bringing weapons into these facilities.
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UNRWA staff were instructed by Touma to evacuate the facility in eastern Rafah last week for their safety, in compliance with Israeli military evacuation orders. Vehicles and flour were left behind at the facility by the UNRWA staff.
The Israeli military shared its findings with senior international officials, including UN officials, through COGAT, the agency responsible for coordinating humanitarian aid to Gaza.
IDF spokesman Maj. Nir Dinar expressed concern about the presence of armed personnel in UN facilities and vehicles, stating, "This is a troubling phenomenon that we have observed before."
Dinar mentioned that the Israeli military did not attack the militants and vehicles because they were located in a UN facility and close to UN personnel. However, the IDF has previously conducted strikes at UN facilities, including the eastern Rafah facility in March, as shown in a video released by the IDF.
It is uncertain whether the armed individuals in the IDF drone footage belong to Hamas or other militant groups in Gaza.
The Israeli military shared a video the day after a United Nations worker was killed and another injured in Rafah. The United Nations stated that they believe a tank fired on the UN-marked vehicle. The Israeli military mentioned that the incident is currently being reviewed.
