The Indian national who was killed while travelling in a vehicle to a hospital in the Khan Younis area from the Rafah region has been identified as former army man Anil Vaibhav Kale.
The identity of Kale was revealed by Farhan Haq who is the deputy spokesperson of the United Nations Secretary-General in a statement on Monday night.
“With the conflict in Gaza continuing to take a heavy toll – not only on civilians but also on humanitarian workers – the Secretary-General reiterates his urgent appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and for the release of all hostages,” the statement added.
The UN official said that Kale joined the UN as a security service coordinator a month ago in Gaza. The UN officials said that he was travelling in a vehicle marked as that of the United Nations.
The officials at the UN are not sure who fired at the vehicle in which Kale was travelling with another UN aid worker. This is the first time an Indian has died in the ongoing war in Gaza.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said that it is probing the firing and the death of the UN aid worker. It said that the attack occurred in an active combat zone. Kale was 46 years old at the time of his death.
Kale was a staff member of the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS) and a former Indian Army personnel.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he “was deeply saddened to learn of the death of a United Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS) staff member and injury to another DSS staffer when their UN vehicle was struck as they travelled to the European Hospital in Rafah” Monday morning.
A report by Financial Express said that Kale was originally from Pune, Maharashtra and is survived by his wife and two children.
UNDSS Under-Secretary-General Gilles Michod praised Colonel Kale for his dedication towards bringing positive change in some of the world’s most perilous regions, like the Gaza Strip, where he was involved with the UN, and said that he always influenced his colleagues.
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