Waibhav Anil Kale, a retired Indian Army colonel serving as an observer with UN’s department of safety and security (UNDSS), was killed in war-torn Gaza on Monday.
Kale (46), survived by his wife and two teenage children who live in Pune, had joined UN barely a month ago and was headed for European Hospital in Rafah when his vehicle came under fire in Khan Younis.
Another UNDSS staff was seriously injured. It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack on the clearly marked UN vehicle.
Kale is the global organisation’s “first international casualty” in Gaza since the latest Israel-Hamas conflict erupted on Oct 7, 2023.
Condemning the incident, UN secretary general Antonio Guterres called for a “full investigation” into it. He said, “Humanitarian workers must be protected.” Israel has reportedly launched an inquiry into the attack.
Commissioned into the 11 J&K Rifles after passing out of Indian Military Academy in June 2000, Kale had served in different parts of the country, including ‘field areas’ in Kashmir and northeast, before he took premature retirement in 2022.
“Kale was a jovial, enthusiastic all-rounder,” an Indian Army officer said.
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