UN migration agency expresses concern over death of 2 Red Cross workers in Israeli strike

ISTANBUL

The UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) has expressed concern over the killing of two staff members from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in an Israeli airstrike on the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.

"Our deepest condolences to the @ICRC family. Humanitarian workers must never be a target. Civilians must be protected," the agency said on X on Sunday.

The ICRC earlier confirmed that two of its employees, identified as Ibrahim Iyd and Ahmed Abu Hilal, were killed when Israeli forces struck their homes in Khan Younis.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing more than 53,900 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Friday, over 172,000 people have been displaced in Gaza in the past week due to intense Israeli attacks and the siege.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.