Killing of aid workers surges to record high during Gaza war, UN claims
Aid worker killings rose nearly a third to almost 400 last year, the most deadly year since records began in 1997, and the conflict in Gaza is continuing to cause high death rates for humanitarian staff in 2025, UN and other data showed.
In 2024, 383 aid workers were killed, nearly half of them in Gaza and the Palestinian territories, the UN said on Tuesday, citing a database.
"Attacks on this scale, with zero accountability, are a shameful indictment of international inaction and apathy," said Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, in a statement.
So far this year, 265 aid workers have been killed, according to provisional data from the Aid Worker Security Database, a US-funded platform that compiles reports on major security incidents affecting aid workers.
Of those, 173 were in Gaza in Israel's nearly two-year offensive against Hamas terrorists, launched after the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border attacks by terrorists, the provisional data showed.
This year, 36 aid workers have so far been killed in Sudan and three in Ukraine, the database showed.
IDF internationally condemned
In one incident in Gaza that drew international condemnation, 15 emergency and aid workers were killed by Israeli fire in three separate shootings in March, before being buried in a shallow grave.
Israel's military said in April that the incidents resulted from an "operational misunderstanding" and a "breach of orders." There had been "several professional failures," and a commander would be dismissed, it said.
Aid workers enjoy protection under international humanitarian law. Still, experts cite few precedents for such cases going to trial, with concerns about ensuring future access for aid groups and difficulty proving intent cited as impediments.
"It is catastrophic, and the trend is going in right the opposite direction of what it should," said Jens Laerke, UN humanitarian office spokesperson.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘Unacceptable': Aus slams Israel move
Australia has joined a contingent of more than 20 countries in condemning a major settlement project greenlit by the Israeli government, claiming it would make a two-state solution with Palestine 'impossible'. Foreign Minister Penny Wong, alongside the UK's David Lammy and a number of other foreign ministers, lashed Israeli plans to expand settlements into contested areas of the West Bank in a joint statement labelling the move 'unacceptable' and a 'violation of international law'. The contentious settlement – now known as E1 – was approved by Israel's Higher Planning Committee and would see some 3400 homes built just east of Jerusalem. The plan was announced last week by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who said the move was a 'significant step that practically erases the two-state delusion and consolidates the Jewish people's hold on the heart of the Land of Israel'. 'The Palestinian state is being erased from the table not by slogans but by deeds. Every settlement, every neighbourhood, every housing unit is another nail in the coffin of this dangerous idea,' he said. In response, Australia and its counterparts called in 'the strongest terms' for the immediate reversal of the approved plans. 'The Government of Israel still has an opportunity to stop the E1 plan going any further. We encourage them to urgently retract this plan,' the statement read. 'Minister Smotrich says this plan will make a two-state solution impossible by dividing any Palestinian state and restricting Palestinian access to Jerusalem. This brings no benefits to the Israeli people. 'Instead, it risks undermining security and fuels further violence and instability, taking us further away from peace.' The government overnight also signed a letter demanding that international media be allowed access into Gaza and journalists operating in the war zone be afforded additional protections. That statement, signed by 26 other countries, called for the end of Israel's press block 'in light of the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza'. 'We, the undersigned members of the Media Freedom Coalition, urge Israel to allow immediate independent foreign media access and afford protection for journalists operating in Gaza,' the statement read. 'Journalists and media workers play an essential role in putting the spotlight on the devastating reality of war. Access to conflict zones is vital to carrying out this role effectively.' Albo 'forever tarnished' by Palestine pledge: Netanyahu The moves made by the Labor government follow a dramatic deterioration in relations between Australia and Israel, with Benjamin Netanyahu declaring Anthony Albanese's reputation would be 'forever tarnished' by his recognition of a Palestinian state. He reiterated comments he made earlier this week, suggesting history would remember the Prime Minister as a 'weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia's Jews'. 'I'm sure he has a reputable record as a public servant, but I think his record is forever tarnished by the weakness that he showed in the face of these Hamas terrorist monsters,' he told Sky News. 'You know, when the worst terrorist organisation on Earth – these savages who murdered women, raped them, beheaded men, burned babies alive in front of their parents and took hundreds of hostages – when these people congratulate the Prime Minister of Australia, you know something is wrong.' The comments follow Mr Albanese's decision to follow the UK, France and Canada in recognising a Palestinian state, which he argued was a 'practical contribution' in promoting a two-state solution. The decision was slammed by both the Opposition and Australian Jewish groups who said the commitment betrayed Israeli hostages who remain in Gaza held by Hamas. Israeli Minister previously sanctioned Mr Smotrich – who approved the tenders for more than 3000 homes to be built on the heavily contested strip between Jerusalem and Ma'ale Adumim in the West Bank – in June was sanctioned by the Australian government alongside his colleague and far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The pair are subject to a travel ban and have had their assets frozen by Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the UK for 'inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank'.
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Israel ramps up pressure on Gaza City as Palestinians face stark choice: ‘Die here or leave and die somewhere else'
Thousands of Palestinians have fled their homes in Gaza City, as the Israeli military continues its assault on the enclave ahead of a planned occupation. Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said he would give final approval for a full takeover, while also restarting negotiations with Hamas aimed at returning all of Israel's remaining hostages. The widening of the 22-month offensive against Hamas appears to be proceeding despite protests in both Israel and the Palestinian enclave. Israeli strikes killed at least 36 Palestinians across Gaza on Thursday, according to local hospitals. A renewed offensive could bring even more casualties to and displacement from the territory, where the war has already killed tens of thousands and where experts warn of imminent famine. Military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said on X that Israeli forces had begun warning medical teams in northern Gaza that residents should prepare to move south. Describing intense overnight shelling before a medical aid point was forced to close in the city on Tuesday, staff member Shireen Halasa said: 'It was a terrifying night. The shelling did not stop for a single moment. My heart almost stopped. We were treating around 100 children daily, many suffering from severe malnutrition, but we were forced to close while running for our lives.' Meanwhile, a United Nations-backed hunger monitor is poised to declare famine in Gaza for the first time, a step it has taken only four times in nearly two decades. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has never before flagged famine in Gaza, but its latest analysis warns conditions have reached 'worst-case scenario' levels. According to the Telegraph, the official declaration will be made tomorrow. The group warned in July that famine in Gaza was imminent. The declaration will cover Gaza City and three surrounding towns, as well as several refugee camps, according to a briefing. Israeli troops have established a foothold on the city's outskirts, and an IDF spokesperson said on Wednesday that forces were already operating in Zeitoun and Jabalia as they laid the groundwork for a broader offensive. Thousands of residents fled the Zeitoun and Sabra neighbourhoods after heavy overnight bombardment, while shelling also intensified in the Sabra and Tuffah areas. Around 75 per cent of Gaza is already largely destroyed and controlled by Israel. 'We are facing a bitter, bitter situation: to die at home or leave and die somewhere else. As long as this war continues, survival is uncertain," said Rabah Abu Elias, 67, a father of seven. 'In the news, they speak about a possible truce; on the ground, we only hear explosions and see deaths. To leave Gaza City or not isn't an easy decision to make.' Israel has said it will call up to 60,000 reservists for the new offensive and other heavily populated areas of the war-torn Gaza Strip. Mr Netanyahu's plan triggered local and global outrage when it was first announced, with UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer saying it would 'only bring more bloodshed'. Hamas, in a statement on Telegram, accused Mr Netanyahu of obstructing the ceasefire deal in favour of continuing a 'brutal war against innocent civilians in Gaza City'. Hamas has accepted a 60-day ceasefire, which the Israeli government has yet to officially respond to. It calls for the release of 10 hostages held by Hamas and 18 bodies, in return for about 200 long-serving Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The Israeli government has restated that all of the remaining 50 hostages must be released at once. Israeli officials believe that around 20 of them are still alive. In Tel Aviv on Thursday evening, ahead of planned nationwide events, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum called on Israeli citizens to protest around the city's Kirya military base to demand an end to the war. 'Forty-two hostages were kidnapped alive and murdered in captivity due to military pressure and delay in signing a deal,' said Dalia Cusnir, whose brother-in-law, Eitan Horn, is still being held captive. Mr Horn's brother Iair was released during a ceasefire earlier this year. 'Enough to sacrifice the hostages. Enough to sacrifice the soldiers, both regular and reservists. Enough to sacrifice the evacuees. Enough to sacrifice the younger generation in the country," said Bar Godard, the daughter of Manny Godard, whose body is being held by Hamas. Women and children held placards at a protest in Gaza City reading 'Save Gaza' and 'Stop the war, stop the savage attack, save us' against a backdrop of destroyed buildings as Palestinian music played. 'We want the war on Gaza to stop. We don't want to migrate. Twenty-two months — it's enough. Enough death. Enough destruction,' said Bisan Ghazal, a woman displaced from Gaza City. Mr Netanyahu is also under pressure from some ministers to reject a temporary ceasefire and pursue annexation of the territory. On Wednesday, the far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, announced the approval of a controversial settlement project in the E1 area of the occupied West Bank that he said would erase any prospect of a Palestinian state. In response, foreign ministers from Europe, Australia, Canada and Japan issued a joint statement on Thursday condemning the plan. The UK Foreign Office summoned Israeli ambassador Tzipi Hotovely over Tel Aviv's approval. As the offensive escalates, the starvation crisis is continuing to unfold in Gaza. The enclave's Hamas-run health ministry announced that at least two people died from starvation in the last 24 hours, and at least 18 people died while collecting aid. The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency chief said the famine was 'deliberate' and warned that malnourished children in Gaza could die without immediate emergency aid during Israel's Gaza City operation. Only 250 of an expected 1,800 aid trucks entered Gaza over the past three days, Gaza's government media office said. More than 62,000 Palestinians have died since 7 October 2023, according to the health ministry, following Hamas's massacre of some 1,200 people and the kidnapping of around 250 more.
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Five dead as 'thunderous' bomb attack hits Colombian city
Colombian authorities said five people were killed and dozens more injured when a truck bomb tore through a busy street in the city of Cali on Thursday, deepening the country's most serious security crisis in decades. Police said the explosion targeted a military aviation school in the city's north -- a fresh challenge to Colombia's fragile peace process ahead of 2026 elections. "There was a thunderous sound of something exploding near the air base," 65-year-old eyewitness Hector Fabio Bolanos told AFP. "There were so many injured people," he said. "Many houses were damaged in front of the base." Cali mayor Alejandro Eder said preliminary reports were that at least five people were killed and 36 people injured. Fearing further explosions, he announced a temporary ban on large trucks entering the city and a US$10,000 reward for information. Several buildings and a local school were evacuated. Cali is Colombia's third-largest city, home to more than two million people, famed for its vibrant salsa-infused nightlife and cartel-tainted past. Eyewitness Alexis Atizabal, 40, said civilians appeared to be among the victims. "There were fatalities among people passing by on the avenue," he said. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the blast, but Eder blamed it on "narcoterrorists." Many of Colombia's armed groups -- once based on leftist or right-wing ideologies -- are now de facto drug cartels, funding themselves through the lucrative cocaine trade. In June, leftist guerrillas claimed responsibility for a wave of 24 coordinated bomb and gun attacks near Cali that killed seven people. The group, the Central General Staff (EMC), rejected a 2016 peace deal and has upped operations ahead of next year's vote. As yet, the group has not claimed responsibility for Thursday's blast. - 'Most painful days' - Left-wing guerrillas, right-wing paramilitaries and murderous cartels still control pockets of Colombia, but the country has enjoyed a decade or more of relative calm. The 2016 peace deal saw the main rebel group, the FARC, disarm and demobilize after a six-decade-long insurgency. But there has been a recent surge in violence that experts say demonstrates armed groups are regaining strength and the ability to carry out coordinated, complex attacks. Former top security officials have voiced concern that the Colombian intelligence services have lost a step and are no longer able to detect and foil plots. In a seemingly unrelated attack on Thursday, eight people were killed in clashes between guerrillas and police in the northwest of the country. The police officers had been eradicating coca crops near the city of Medellin when a drone was used to down a helicopter. Colombians are fearful of a return to the violence of the 1980s and 1990s, when cartel attacks, guerrilla violence and political assassinations were commonplace. The latest attacks heaped pressure on the government of President Gustavo Petro, whose conciliatory approach to armed groups has been blamed for the uptick in violence. In response to Thursday's attacks, Petro said dissident guerrillas loyal to warlord Ivan Mordisco, another group known as the "Segunda Marquetalia" and the country's largest cartel the Clan del Golfo would be declared "terrorist organizations". Petro is constitutionally barred from running again in next year's elections. Earlier this month, Colombia buried 39-year-old conservative presidential candidate Miguel Uribe, who was shot in June while campaigning in the capital Bogota. "Our country is going through the darkest, saddest, and most painful days," his widow Maria Claudia Tarazona told the funeral service. Uribe's own mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was killed in a botched 1991 police operation to free her from cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar's Medellin cartel. lvs-arb/dl
