5 UN workers killed in Gaza in past 48 hrs, total toll 79

Gaza, Nov 6

The UN Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) announced that in the last 48 hours, five more of its employees were killed in the Gaza Strip, taking the total death toll of the mission's personnel to 79 since the Israel-Hamas war erupted on October 7.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the UN body said that it received confirmation of the death of two staff members who were killed on October 24.

Besides the overall fatalities, at least 24 UNRWA staffers have also been injured till date.

"Like most Gazans, our staff have also lost relatives, friends, neighbors and are themselves displaced with their families. And yet, they continue to work tirelessly to provide humanitarian assistance," the statement said.

The UN mission also said that on November 3, two UNRWA schools in the Jabaliya refugee camp and Nuseirat camp were hit by Israeli airstrikes.

Fifteen people were killed and 70 others injured in the direct strike on the school in Jabaliya.

Meanwhile, the strikes near the UNRWA school in Nuseirat injured 11 displaced persons sheltering in the facility.

The total number of UNRWA installations damaged since October 7 has increased to 48.

Sunday's statement comes a week after UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini had said that the losses amount to the highest number of UN aid workers killed in a conflict anywhere in the world in such a short period of time.