Barely 2 months into new UN job, ex-Indian Army officer killed in Rafah attack
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Col Waibhav Anil Kale (retired) was commissioned in the army in 2000 and had opted for premature retirement a few years ago
NEW DELHI: A former Indian Army officer working for the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS) was killed when his vehicle was attacked at Rafah in the Gaza Strip, the first time an international staff member of the UN has died since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The UN confirmed on Tuesday that a DSS staff member was killed and another injured when their UN vehicle was “struck” as they travelled to the European Hospital in Rafah on Monday. Condemning all attacks on UN personnel, Secretary-General António Guterres sought a full investigation.
The dead DSS staff member was identified as Col Waibhav Anil Kale (retired), who opted for premature retirement from the army in July 2022. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, he was commissioned in the 11 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles army in 2000. Kale started working for the DSS two months ago. He was survived by his wife and two teenage children.
Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman for the UN secretary-general, said the security personnel killed was an international staff member, marking the first such UN death in the Gaza conflict. “Of UN staff, I believe I’ve not been previously aware of an international casualty,” he said.
Without attributing responsibility for the strike, the Israeli military maintained that it had not been made aware of the route of the UN vehicle. “An initial inquiry conducted indicates that the vehicle was hit in an area declared an active combat zone,” the military told news agency AFP.
There was no immediate word from the Indian side on the development. India has called for an immediate end to the fighting, release of hostages taken by Hamas during the October 7 terror attacks last year, resumption of humanitarian aid, and a return to dialogue aimed at a two-state solution.
Guterres said in a post on X that a UN vehicle “was struck in Gaza, killing one of our colleagues & injuring another”. More than 190 UN staff members have been killed in Gaza, he added.
“Humanitarian workers must be protected. I condemn all attacks on UN personnel and reiterate my urgent appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire & the release of all hostages,” Guterres said.
Haq said Guterres has called for a full investigation. “He sends his condolences to the family of the fallen staff member,” he added.
He said the UN vehicle was headed to the European Hospital in Rafah as part of the “regular work” of DSS staff going to different locations to assess security conditions.
Separately, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees or UNRWA reported another of its staff members was killed in the war, taking the total number to 188. The senior projects officer was killed on Sunday in an Israeli strike in the central town of Deir Al Balah, after leaving Rafah.
In April, seven volunteers of the World Central Kitchen were killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza. Among the dead was Zomi Frankcom, who was of Indian origin.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said that between October 7, 2023 and May 12, 2024, at least 35,091 Palestinians have been killed and 78,827 injured in Gaza.
The October 7 terror attacks by Hamas killed some 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals.
