Shots Fired and Bulldozers Rammed Cars During UN Standoff with Israeli Military, Reports Reuters

By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS – A convoy of marked armored U.N. vehicles in Gaza was surrounded and held at gunpoint by Israeli forces on Monday, with the military seeking to interrogate two U.N. staff members, according to a statement from the United Nations on Tuesday.

The convoy was en route to support a vaccination campaign for thousands of Palestinian children against polio when it was halted at a checkpoint connecting central and northern Gaza. U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric explained that Israeli soldiers wanted to question two Palestinian staff members.

The situation quickly escalated, with soldiers directing their weapons at the U.N. personnel in the convoy. As the polio vaccination drive began in northern Gaza, Dujarric noted that this incident illustrated the "unacceptable dangers and impediments" faced by humanitarian workers in the region.

He reported that the convoy was rapidly "encircled by Israeli forces," with shots fired during the standoff. Subsequently, Israeli tanks and bulldozers approached the U.N. vehicles, ramming them from both the front and rear, thereby compacting the convoy while U.N. staff remained inside.

Dujarric added that one bulldozer dropped debris onto the first vehicle, while Israeli soldiers threatened the staff, preventing them from exiting their vehicles safely.

In response to inquiries about the incident, the Israeli military stated that the convoy was stopped due to intelligence suggesting that several "Palestinian suspects" were on board and needed to be questioned. They emphasized that the convoy was for personnel rotation and not transporting polio vaccines, indicating that the suspects were questioned at the scene and later released, after which the convoy returned to southern Gaza.

Dujarric confirmed that Israeli soldiers did question the two staff members, but insisted it was done in the presence of other U.N. personnel and vehicles. He noted that after seven-and-a-half hours at the checkpoint, the convoy was able to return to its base, highlighting that the actions of Israeli forces put the lives of U.N. staff at risk.

This incident occurred two weeks after the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) temporarily halted the movement of its employees in Gaza, following an incident where at least ten bullets struck a clearly marked WFP vehicle approaching an Israeli military checkpoint.

Israel informed the U.S. that a preliminary review indicated the shooting was a result of a "communication error" among its military units, as relayed by the deputy U.S. envoy to the U.N. to the Security Council shortly after the incident.

The WFP resumed employee movements after receiving assurances from Israel that an investigation report would be provided regarding the incident and a review of military coordination with U.N. and aid organizations would take place. However, as of now, the WFP has not yet received the investigation report on the shooting, according to Corinne Fleischer, the regional director for the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe.