Israel Finally Admits Responsibility for Death of Bulgarian UN Worker in Gaza

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have acknowledged that an Israeli tank shell was responsible for the death of Marin Marinov, a Bulgarian citizen and UN employee, in Gaza on March 19. Marinov was killed when a building belonging to the United Nations in Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza, was hit during Israeli military operations in the area.

According to a statement released by the Israeli military, preliminary findings indicate that their forces targeted the building based on an assessment of enemy presence. However, the structure was not identified as a UN facility. Until now, Israel had denied involvement in the incident.

The case is currently under investigation by an independent body within the Israeli army’s General Staff, which examines unusual incidents during military operations as part of its fact-finding mechanism.

Earlier this week, experts had suggested that Marinov’s death and the injuries of five other UN staff members were likely caused by two tank shells. The incident marks the second time in recent days that the IDF has admitted to mistakenly killing humanitarian workers in Gaza. The other involved Red Cross medics who were misidentified as Hamas operatives despite being unarmed and in clearly marked ambulances. Disciplinary measures were taken against the unit’s commanders in that case.

The IDF has not yet clarified why it initially denied responsibility for the March 19 strike and later reversed its position. In contrast, it took immediate responsibility for the Red Cross incident, eventually retracting its initial claims of extenuating circumstances.

In response to the admission, Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev demanded fair compensation for Marinov’s family and expressed condolences. He confirmed that Israel has issued formal apologies to Bulgaria. Georgiev emphasized the importance of protecting humanitarian personnel and called on the international community to uphold their safety and operational freedom in line with international law.

He also urged a renewed commitment to the ceasefire in Gaza, the prevention of civilian casualties, and the immediate release of hostages, stressing that such tragedies must not be repeated.

We remind you that back in March, the Bulgarian online journal De Re Militari first reported that the tank shell was fired from an Israeli tank.