Overview

• Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein rejected claims that the IDF targets aid workers, calling such allegations 'blood libel.'
• The comment followed UK minister Hamish Falconer's call for investigations into attacks on aid workers, referencing Israel's admission of responsibility for a March tank strike that killed a Bulgarian UN staffer.
• The IDF initially denied involvement in the Deir al Balah strike but later admitted its forces fired on the UN facility, citing a mistaken assessment of enemy presence.
• The UN reports that over 400 aid workers have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, intensifying calls for independent accountability mechanisms.
• The diplomatic exchange underscores ongoing tensions over civilian protection and operational transparency in the Gaza conflict, which has claimed over 50,000 Palestinian lives.