Politics Israel stops UN convoy - alleged suspects on board

According to the Israeli army, it has stopped a UN vehicle convoy in the north of the Gaza Strip. The reason for this was "intelligence information that a number of Palestinian suspects were inside", the military announced. The convoy had been stopped in order to question the suspects. They were vehicles in which UN employees were being transported, it added. The incident is still ongoing.

The Israeli TV station Kan reported that two suspected Palestinians had "infiltrated" the convoy and entrenched themselves in one of the vehicles. Israeli soldiers had fired warning shots.

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told the German Press Agency: "At this stage, I can only say that we are aware of an ongoing incident involving UN personnel and vehicles. We are working to establish the facts. The safety of our colleagues is our top priority."

The relationship between Israel and the United Nations is considered strained, especially in the course of the war. Israeli representatives have repeatedly accused employees of the UN Palestinian Relief and Works Agency of being terrorists.

According to the UN, a UN humanitarian vehicle in a convoy was shot at by Israeli soldiers last month. The army announced an investigation into the allegations.

SDA