UN reduces international staff in Gaza after strike on UN compound; secretary-general demands investigation

The United Nations announced a temporary reduction of about one-third of international staff in Gaza after a March strike hit a UN compound and killed a UN colleague.

The reduction, described by the UN spokesperson as a security-driven, temporary measure, affects roughly 30 of about 100 international UN staff currently in Gaza. The secretary-general “strongly condemns these strikes and demands a full, thorough, and independent investigation into this incident,” the spokesperson said, reading the secretary-general’s remarks.

The move comes amid what the UN described as the longest suspension of humanitarian access to Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023. The UN said crossings for cargo have been closed since March 2, and its humanitarian partners report rising prices, critical shortages of water and fuel and disruptions to medical and nutrition services.

At issue was a strike on a UN compound in Darro Bala on March 19, which the UN said was caused by an Israeli tank shell. The attack killed a UN staff member from Bulgaria and left six colleagues severely injured; the injured were identified by the UN as nationals of France, Moldova, North Macedonia, Palestine and the United Kingdom. The spokesperson said the location of the compound was well known to all parties to the conflict and reiterated that “all parties to the conflict are bound by international law to protect the inviability of United Nations premises.”

“We are not leaving Gaza. I repeat, the United Nations is not leaving Gaza,” the UN spokesperson said, while noting the reduction in international personnel and saying the vast majority of distributions are being conducted by local Palestinian UN staff who continue to work under “extremely challenging circumstances.”

Humanitarian implications cited by the UN include severely limited water access — the spokesperson said partners reported that 90% of people surveyed recently did not have sufficient access to water — and restricted nutrition services after the closure of malnutrition sites in evacuation areas in Rafah affected more than 100 children. The UN said humanitarian partners have continued to screen children for malnutrition and to distribute ready-to-eat complementary food to more than 7,000 infants and young children despite access constraints.

The UN also described attacks on health infrastructure and ambulances, citing reports that the surgical department of Nasr Medical Complex in southern Gaza was hit and caught fire, and that ambulances were reportedly hit in Rafah. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported that four of its ambulances and 10 team members had been targeted and that communications with the team were lost for 30 hours.

On the broader diplomacy and protection front, the spokesperson said the secretary-general has ordered a review of all forms of peace operations as requested by member states in the recently adopted “pact for the future,” and that work under the UN at 80 initiative seeks efficiencies in light of funding shortfalls.

The UN reiterated calls for the restoration of a ceasefire, unconditional release of hostages, respect for international humanitarian law and for all states to use diplomatic and economic means to press parties to stop the conflict and protect civilians.

The spokesperson said the reduction in international staff is a precautionary and operational measure: about 100 international staff were present in Gaza, and roughly 30 were being temporarily withdrawn “this week, maybe a bit more.” The UN said it hopes to return staff “as soon as practicable.”

The UN also warned that the suspension of aid and disruptions to health services risk pushing Gaza closer to acute hunger; UN officials said crossings have remained closed for cargo since March 2 and flagged critical needs for medical teams and supplies.

The secretary-general’s demand for an independent investigation into the strike on the UN compound followed the public announcement of casualties and injuries among UN personnel. The spokesperson said the UN has shared the information it has with relevant authorities and called for accountability whether the strike was deliberate or the result of miscommunication.

Looking ahead, the UN said it will continue to provide humanitarian support and called on member states and other actors to enforce protections for civilians and civilian infrastructure. The UN did not announce any formal policy change beyond the temporary withdrawal of some international staff and repeated that national and local UN staff remain on the ground carrying out distributions where possible.