Statement by the Humanitarian Country Team in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

The UN and its partners condemn the killing of two civilian contractors delivering essential water supplies on behalf of UNICEF, who were killed at a water filling point in northern Gaza yesterday.

The incident occurred during routine work to provide lifesaving water to hundreds of thousands of displaced and vulnerable people. Such attacks not only cost lives but also disrupt critical services that communities depend on for survival.

The protection of civilians, including humanitarian workers and essential service providers, is an obligation under humanitarian law and must be upheld.

The UN and its partners call on all parties to take immediate measures to ensure the safety of civilians and humanitarian operations.

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 * The Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) is a strategic decision-making forum led by the Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory. It brings together heads of UN entities and NGOs – both international and Palestinian – all working on humanitarian affairs in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip under internationally agreed humanitarian principles.