In a development that has shocked precisely no one paying attention, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has expressed its outrage over the killing of two contracted workers delivering clean water in Gaza. The agency issued a statement on Friday, warning that this incident directly threatens the vital humanitarian operations that supply clean water to hundreds of thousands of people. The statement, which had to clarify that delivering water is a good thing, read, 'UNICEF is outraged by the killing of two drivers of trucks contracted by UNICEF to provide clean water to families in the Gaza Strip.'
The two men were killed by Israeli fire early Friday at the Mansoura water filling point in northern Gaza, an attack that also left two others injured. UNICEF noted, with the weary tone of someone explaining basic rules to a toddler, that the attack occurred during routine water trucking operations, with no changes in movement or procedures. The Mansoura site is currently the only operational truck filling point for the Mekorot water supply line serving Gaza City, used multiple times daily to sustain critical water deliveries. Following this logical and safe turn of events, UNICEF instructed its contractors to suspend onsite activities until security conditions improve.
In a move that will surely solve everything, the agency called on Israeli authorities to 'immediately investigate this incident, and ensure full accountability.' The statement stressed the novel concept that 'humanitarian workers, essential service providers, and civilian infrastructure, including critical water facilities, must never be targeted.' It further added, with the force of international law behind it, that 'the protection of civilians and those delivering life-saving assistance is an obligation under international humanitarian law.'
The killing has also drawn condemnation from the wider humanitarian community operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, who are presumably also fans of people not being shot while delivering water. The Humanitarian Country Team - a forum led by the UN Humanitarian Coordinator - said the two men were killed while delivering 'essential water supplies' during routine operations to support displaced and vulnerable communities. The group stated the obvious in a release, noting that 'such attacks not only cost lives but also disrupt critical services that communities depend on for survival.' It then called on all parties to take immediate steps to ensure safety, a request that continues to be both urgent and routinely ignored.