The Israel Defense Forces on Wednesday denied reports that it had struck a United Nations compound in the central Gaza Strip’s Deir al-Balah area.
“The IDF calls on media outlets to act with caution regarding unverified reports,” the military clarified in an English-language statement on X.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Gaza Health Ministry, which is run by the Hamas terrorist group, had claimed that an Israeli Air Force strike had killed one U.N. employee and wounded five others.
According to the Hamas statement, which was echoed by Reuters and other global news outlets, the slain U.N. staffer was a foreign national.
A spokeswoman for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)—which has employed staff members with Hamas ties—did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On Tuesday, the IDF launched “extensive” strikes against terror targets in the Strip. The campaign has been officially named “Operation Strength and Sword.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the military was acting after the Hamas terrorist organization rebuffed several proposals from U.S. Middle East envoy Steven Witkoff to extend the temporary truce during the Ramadan and Passover holidays.
Overnight Tuesday, the IDF carried out airstrikes on a Hamas site in the northern Gaza Strip after preparations for launching attacks on Israeli territory were identified, the military said on Wednesday morning.
Additionally, during the night, Israeli Navy forces targeted several suspicious vessels off Gaza’s coast that were being used for terror activities by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, according to the military.
The IDF stated that it remains committed to striking terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip to neutralize threats against Israeli civilians and soldiers.
