„After a thorough investigation by the Israel Defense Forces, it was confirmed that during the incident with the deceased Captain Marin Marinov, no Israeli military actions were carried out in the area and no attack was detected“, Israeli Ambassador to Bulgaria Yossi Levi Sfari told bTV.
„Israel expresses its sorrow over the death of the Bulgarian citizen, a UN employee, today in the Gaza Strip. The circumstances surrounding the incident are being investigated. IDF forces are also assisting in the evacuation of the body and the wounded, who will be treated in hospitals in Israel. It is also important to note that no organization or UN officials have attributed the tragedy to Israel.”, he stressed. Earlier, a similar version was also denied by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa‘ar.
„Israel remains committed to the safety of humanitarian workers and appreciates the contribution of Bulgarian citizens to international humanitarian efforts. We stand in solidarity with our Bulgarian friends at this difficult time“, Yossi Levi Sfari also pointed out.
The Israeli Ambassador once again expresses his deepest condolences following the tragic incident in Gaza on March 19, which led to the death of Captain Marin Marinov. Several other people were also injured.
The Israeli Defense Forces are called the IDF. They include both the land, air and naval forces.
An urgent investigation has been launched into the case through diplomatic channels and additional information is expected at a later stage. Unofficially, NOVA learned the identity of the deceased Bulgarian, but is not announcing it for the sake of his relatives.
The strike on the UN building was carried out at 11:30 a.m. “A UNOPS colleague was killed after the explosions in Deir al-Bala in Gaza. This is where our complex, our guesthouse, our premises in Gaza are located”, explained the Executive Director of the UN Office for Project Services Jorge Moreira da Silva. The attacked camp is the smallest in the Gaza Strip. It is located on the Mediterranean coast. According to UN officials, everyone in the area, including Israel, knew that the building housed UN staff.
The building that was hit houses a UN agency that works on infrastructure projects around the world. "The place where these foreigners were living in the Gaza Strip was hit. We have five injured, one slightly injured. Two have been transferred to a European hospital," said Raed Hussein, director of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.
In a statement, the Israeli military denied carrying out an airstrike on a UN building. However, Moreira da Silva did not believe so. "We know that an explosive device was thrown or fired at the infrastructure and exploded in the building. We don't know if it was an air-launched weapon, artillery or a rocket," he said.
The UN executive director urged that UN staff and facilities be protected by all sides and stressed that civilians rely on the UN for life-saving assistance.