NEW DELHI: India is waiting for the findings of a United Nations investigation into the killing of a former Indian Army officer working for the world body in Gaza, even as information emerged that an Israeli tank targeted the slain staff member’s vehicle.
The external affairs ministry said on Wednesday that India’s permanent mission to the UN in New York and the country’s missions in Tel Aviv and Ramallah are working to repatriate the body of Colonel Waibhav Anil Kale (retired), who was killed at Rafah in the Gaza Strip on Monday.
These missions are also “in touch with relevant authorities regarding the investigation into the incident”, the ministry said in a statement on Kale’s “unfortunate death”. The ministry said it was “deeply saddened” by the death and extended heartfelt condolences to Kale’s family.
People familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity that the Indian side is awaiting the findings of the investigation launched by the UN Department of Safety and Security (DSS) before deciding on further steps.
Kale, 46, retired early from the Indian Army in July 2022 and began working for the DSS about two months ago. The posting in Gaza was his first assignment after completing his training.
He was the first international UN staffer killed in Gaza since the war began last October, taking the total UN death toll to 191.
Comments by Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman for the UN secretary-general, at a media briefing on Tuesday made it clear that Kale’s vehicle was hit by tank fire in an area of Rafah where only Israeli tanks are present. Kale’s UN-marked vehicle was targeted when DSS staff were travelling to the European Hospital in Rafah.
When Haq was asked whether the shots that hit the UN vehicle were fired from the direction of a tank and whether only the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have tanks in the area, he replied: “I think that’s a safe assumption to make, yes.”
Responding to another question as to whether Israeli forces had fired the shots that hit the vehicle, Haq said: “I think the point is we are in discussion with Israel to determine exactly how this incident happened and the nature of what happened. I don’t think at this stage we are in doubt about where the shots came from, as much as what the circumstances were.”
The DSS has set up a fact-finding panel to determine responsibility for the incident. “It’s very early in the investigation, and details of the incident are still being verified with the Israeli Defense Forces. What we know so far indicates that a weapon appears to have impacted the back of a white UN vehicle…killing one and injuring another,” Haq said.
The IDF has said the incident was “under review” and that it had not been made aware of the UN vehicle’s route. An initial inquiry indicated “the vehicle was hit in an area declared an active combat zone”, the IDF said.
Gilles Michaud, the UN under secretary general for safety and security, said he was told by Kale that he joined the UN because he thought it was the “best way to make a difference”.
“He signed up to work in support of people who desperately need help, in the most dangerous place, at a time of unimaginable crisis. This speaks volumes about his character,” added Michaud.