IDF Probe Reveals Tank Shell Causes Fatality at UN Site

Preliminary results from an Israel Defense Forces inquiry have concluded that shelling from an Israeli tank led to the destruction of a United Nations facility in central Gaza, resulting in the death of a UN worker and injuring several others in March.

The occurrence took place a day following the breakdown of a ceasefire, according to an IDF statement released on Thursday. The IDF asserted it had targeted the site due to doubts about hostile presence.

The fatality was identified as Marin Marinov, a UN employee, during the Deir al Balah incident, as communicated by Farhan Haq, the UN Secretary-General's Deputy Spokesperson, in correspondence with ABC News.

The injured included Neil Arnold, Joel Fournet, Nicolas Berthon, Alexandru Baban, and David Petrov, according to Haq.

Initially, the IDF denied any role in the incident, asserting it had not attacked a UN compound in Deir al Balah. On Thursday, they expressed sorrow for the unintended harm to the UN personnel and expressed solidarity with the bereaved family.

"The IDF persists in conducting in-depth investigation procedures to assimilate learnings and evaluate further actions to avert future occurrences of this kind," it stated. "Maintaining an open dialogue with international entities is of paramount importance to the IDF, contributing to efforts aimed at coordination, lesson assimilation, and the prevention of similar events going forward."

A parallel inquiry has been initiated by the UN to thoroughly examine the circumstances surrounding the strike.

Jorge Moreira da Silva, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNOPS Executive Director, acknowledged the initial revelations from the IDF that confirmed a tank round caused the UNOPS colleague's demise in Deir al Balah. "This aligns with the facts as recognized by the UN, and full accountability needs to be enforced in light of severe infractions against international law," he stated.

A week after the event, the UN expressed confidence in its preliminary assessment indicating Israeli tank fire was involved, as Haq informed ABC News the previous month.

UN Response and Actions

On March 24, four days subsequent to the attack, the UN Secretary-General disclosed plans to "minimize the Organization's engagement within Gaza."

"Over the past week, Israeli strikes have ravaged Gaza, claiming the lives of countless civilians, including UN team members, while humanitarian assistance has been denied entry since early March," reported Stephane Dujarric, a spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, in a statement. "The dire circumstances have compelled the Secretary-General to consider minimizing the Organization's footprint in the region, even as humanitarian needs escalate and our concern for civilian safety intensifies."

Israel has blocked the ingress of all essential goods, food, and medical materials into Gaza for over two months. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cited Hamas' unwillingness to release additional hostages amid a U.S.-negotiated ceasefire extension as the reason for withholding aid. Currently, 58 hostages remain detained in Gaza since October 7, 2023.

The March 19 attack added to the death toll of UN workers in the area, bringing the total since the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel to 280, as per the UN Secretary-General.

The March UN site strike is one of several episodes where the IDF has accepted responsibility.

Recently, they acknowledged errors in target identification, resulting in the attack on a summary of emergency medical vehicles on March 23, causing the deaths of 15 medical and humanitarian workers.

The IDF has not clarified whether any Israeli military personnel will face repercussions for the deadly strike involving the UN.