UN flags at half-mast for staff killed in Gaza

The blue and white UN flag was lowered at 9:30 am local time at offices in Bangkok, Tokyo and Beijing, a day after the world body reported "a significant number of deaths and injuries" in strikes on a facility in Gaza.

The UN agency for supporting Palestinians (UNRWA) announced on Friday that more than 100 of its employees had died in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war.

The UN on Saturday confirmed several people have been killed and wounded in strikes on a UN facility in Gaza City, where hundreds of Palestinians have taken refuge to escape the war.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said it was deeply distressed by preliminary reports of the shelling of the United Nations compound in Gaza City, which UNDP’s Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People managed until 13 October when UN staff vacated the premises.

The shelling has reportedly resulted in a significant number of deaths and injuries.

"On 6 November UNDP reported that several hundred people seeking refuge had entered the compound, and there are indications that this number has since increased significantly," UNDP said.

The agency said the ongoing tragedy of death and injury to civilians ensnared in the conflict was unacceptable and has to stop.

"Civilians, civilian infrastructure, and the inviolability of UN facilities must be respected and protected at all times. International humanitarian law, including the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution, must be respected and upheld," UNDP said.

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