Armed and masked Palestinians seen on trucks loaded with International Humanitarian Aid entering Gaza through the Israeli Kerem Shalom Crossing, in the southern Gaza Strip, April 3, 2024. Photo by Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90
IDF troops from the 252nd Division detained a UN convoy after Palestinian suspects infiltrated the convoy while en route in the northern Gaza Strip, according to Israeli media reports.
A report in Maariv indicated that an initial inspection by soldiers revealed two Hamas terrorists inside the convoy. The UN had provided a list of employees who were supposed to be in the convoy, but the two terrorists were not on that list.
The IDF did not use force on either the convoy or the terrorists out of concern of causing an international incident. The army released a statement about the incident on Monday evening.
“Earlier today, IDF forces detained a convoy of UN vehicles in the northern Gaza Strip, in light of intelligence information that a number of Palestinian suspects were present in the convoy. IDF forces delayed the convoy in order to question the suspects.”
While initial reports in Israeli media claimed the convoy was a humanitarian aid convoy transporting polio vaccines, the IDF confirmed that was untrue.
“We emphasize that this is not a convoy that transported polio vaccines, but a convoy whose purpose is a personnel exchange of UN personnel,” the IDF noted.
UN Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric de la Rivière told Ynet News: “At this stage, all we can say is that we are aware of an ongoing incident involving UN personnel and vehicles, and are working to establish the facts. The number one priority is the safety and security of our employees.”
In a post on 𝕏, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini claimed that the IDF detained the UN convoy for over eight hours.
The Israeli Army stopped a UN convoy on its way to northern #Gaza for more than eight hours today (Monday) despite prior detailed coordination.
The convoy had both national & international staff traveling to roll out the #polio vaccination campaign for children in Gaza city and…
— Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) September 9, 2024
Lazzarini also claimed the UN officials were part of the polio vaccine distribution team, stating, “We are not able to confirm whether the polio campaign will take place tomorrow, [Tuesday] in northern Gaza.”
The UN recently accused IDF troops of firing on a vehicle belonging to the agency’s World Food Programme (WFP). The IDF admitted targeting a vehicle in the convoy after receiving intel that gunmen had taken over some of the vehicles.
Earlier this year, the IDF struck a World Central Kitchen convoy, killing seven WCK aid workers, after unknown armed individuals joined the convoy midway through its route to distribute aid.
The IDF believed the gunmen were Hamas terrorists. It was later revealed they were armed guards hired to protect the convoy.
Earlier this summer, the UN announced it would have to suspend aid operations in Gaza if Israel did not take stronger measures to protect humanitarian aid workers. Israel has denied targeting aid workers.
