The officer, who attended the National Defence Academy, was commissioned in the army in 2000 and chose a few years ago to retire early.
The first international UN staff member to die since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict was an Indian Army officer who had worked for the UN Department of Safety and Security (DSS). He was murdered when his vehicle was targeted in Rafah, Gaza.
The UN confirmed on Tuesday that a staff member of the DSS was killed and another was injured when their UN vehicle was “struck” as they travelled to the European Hospital in Rafah on Monday. Condemning all attacks on UN personnel, Secretary-General António Guterres called for a full investigation.
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The identity of the deceased DSS staff member was not revealed but people familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity that he was a former infantry officer of the Indian Army.
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, the officer was commissioned in the army in 2000 and had opted for premature retirement a few years ago, the people said. He had begun working for the DSS a short while ago, they said.
Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman for the UN secretary-general, said the UN was gathering information on the incident. He confirmed that the security personnel killed was an international staff member, marking the first such UN death in the Gaza conflict. “Of UN staff, I believe I’ve not been previously aware of an international casualty,” he said.
There was no immediate word from Indian officials on the development. The Indian side has called for an immediate end to the fighting, release of hostages taken by Hamas during the October 7 terror attacks last year, resumption of humanitarian aid, and a return to dialogue aimed at a two-state solution.
Guterres said in a post on X that a UN vehicle “was struck in Gaza, killing one of our colleagues & injuring another”. More than 190 UN staff members have been killed in Gaza, he added.
“Humanitarian workers must be protected. I condemn all attacks on UN personnel and reiterate my urgent appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire & the release of all hostages,” Guterres said.
Haq said Guterres had called for a full investigation. “He sends his condolences to the family of the fallen staff member,” he added.
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He said the UN vehicle was headed to the European Hospital in Rafah as part of the “regular work” of DSS staff going to different locations to assess security conditions.
Separately, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, or UNRWA, reported another of its staff members was killed in the war, taking the total number to 188. The senior projects officer was killed on Sunday in an Israeli strike in the central town of Deir Al Balah, after leaving Rafah.
In April, seven volunteers of the World Central Kitchen were killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza. Among the dead was Zomi Frankcom, who was of Indian origin.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said that between October 7, 2023 and May 12, 2024, at least 35,091 Palestinians have been killed and 78,827 injured in Gaza.
The October 7 terror attacks by Hamas killed some 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals.
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