By Michelle Nichols
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Israel told the United States that an initial review found that shots were fired at a World Food Programme (WFP) vehicle in the Gaza Strip after a “communication error” between Israeli military units, the deputy U.S. envoy to the United Nations said on Thursday.
“We have urged them to immediately rectify the issues within their system,” Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Robert Wood told a U.N. Security Council meeting on Gaza. “Israel must not only take ownership for its mistakes, but also take concrete actions to ensure the IDF does not fire on UN personnel again.”
The WFP temporarily suspended movement of its employees across Gaza on Wednesday, saying at least 10 bullets struck one of its clearly marked vehicles as it approached an Israeli military checkpoint.
WFP said in a statement that a convoy of two armored vehicles received “multiple clearances by Israeli authorities to approach” the Wadi Gaza bridge checkpoint on Tuesday evening. Bullets hit one of the vehicles, but no one in it was hurt.
(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Kanishka Singh and Sandra Maler)
