UN Confirms Israeli Tank Fire Killed Bulgarian Citizen in Gaza

The United Nations has announced that it is withdrawing part of its staff from the Gaza Strip due to intensified hostilities in the area. The decision follows the deaths of UN personnel, the ongoing blockade of humanitarian aid, and the recent killing of Bulgarian citizen Marin Marinov.

As Novinite reported, Marinov was killed on March 19 when an Israeli tank fired at a UN building in Deir al-Balah, according to a statement from UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric. The same attack left six other UN staff members seriously injured. The wounded individuals are from North Macedonia, Moldova, France, the United Kingdom, and Palestine.

Dujarric reiterated that all parties involved in the conflict had been informed that the targeted building was used by UN personnel. He emphasized that under international law, UN facilities must remain inviolable and that failure to respect this principle exposes humanitarian workers to unacceptable dangers while they attempt to save civilian lives. Guterres is demanding a full, comprehensive, and independent investigation into the incident.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military admitted today that it mistakenly fired on a building belonging to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Rafah, Gaza Strip. The army explained that it had misidentified the structure, believing that dangerous individuals were inside. However, after the explosion, it was determined that this was not the case. The Red Cross confirmed that there were no casualties but reported that the damage had disrupted its operations. The Israeli military has pledged to investigate the incident.

At the same time, Israel has denied responsibility for the death of Marin Marinov. A spokesperson for the Israeli Foreign Ministry stated on social media that an initial investigation into the March 19 incident found no connection to Israeli military activities. He accused the UN of spreading false information, pointing out that the organization’s own inquiry team had not yet arrived at the scene.

Regarding the UN Secretary-General’s statement on the incident in Deir al-Balah on 19 March:
The initial examination found no connection to IDF activity whatsoever.

The UN inquiry team itself hasn’t even arrived at the scene.

Yet the UN is quick to publish another baseless… pic.twitter.com/LqioB3Cc6V

— Oren Marmorstein (@OrenMarmorstein) March 24, 2025

The spokesperson criticized the UN’s statement, calling it a baseless attack on Israel and accusing the UN Secretary-General of lacking professionalism and fairness. This denial comes in response to the UN’s assertion that an Israeli tank was responsible for the attack on the UN building in Deir al-Balah, which resulted in Marinov’s death and injuries to six other staff members.

As the situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, the UN has decided to reduce its presence in the region. The withdrawal of personnel comes amid growing concerns about the safety of humanitarian workers and the restrictions on aid delivery.