The United Nations children's fund (UNICEF) has expressed outrage after two civilian contractors driving water trucks on its behalf were shot dead by Israeli forces in northern Gaza on Friday, 18 April. The agency called for an immediate investigation and warned that humanitarian workers and civilian infrastructure must never be targeted.
The incident occurred at the Mansoura water filling point in northern Gaza — described by UNICEF as the only operational truck filling point on the Mekorot water supply line serving Gaza City. Mekorot is an Israeli water company whose infrastructure is used to connect the city to its distribution network. UNICEF said the point is used multiple times a day by its teams and humanitarian partners, and that the two drivers were killed during a routine water trucking operation with no changes in movement or procedures. Two other people were wounded in the same incident. Following the killings, all activities at the filling point were suspended.
The Israeli military, contacted for comment, said its troops observed "two armed terrorists" approaching the area of the "Yellow Line" — the boundary separating the zone under Israeli military control from areas under Hamas administration — and opened fire. The army said the incident was under review.
UNICEF rejected that framing, insisting the operation was entirely routine and calling on Israeli authorities to investigate promptly and hold those responsible to account. "Humanitarian workers, essential service providers and civilian infrastructure, including critical water facilities, must never be targeted," the agency said in a statement, adding that the protection of civilians and those delivering life-saving assistance is an obligation under international humanitarian law.
The killings come amid a catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, where access to clean water has been severely restricted throughout the conflict. Gaza's health ministry, which operates under Hamas authority, reported an overall death toll of at least 72,549 Palestinians since the war began on 7 October 2023, following Hamas's deadly attack on Israel. Of those, 773 deaths have occurred since a fragile ceasefire came into effect on 10 October. The Israeli military has reported that five of its soldiers were killed in Gaza during the same post-ceasefire period.