MIDDLE EAST:A senior Irish aid official escaped injury after the United Nations convoy in which he was travelling was attacked by gunmen in Gaza City yesterday.
John Ging, director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Gaza, was part of a convoy that was attacked by three unidentified Palestinian gunmen in an apparent kidnap attempt.
The attackers fired at least 11 shots at the car before Mr Ging was able to escape and return to the agency's headquarters, a spokesman for UNRWA said.
"He was coming into Gaza when three masked and armed men stopped his car," the spokesman said. "They tried to open the door of the armoured car that he was in and when they did not succeed they began shooting at the car." It was the first time in the history of the organisation that it had been attacked in such a way, he confirmed.
The agency has asked authorities to investigate the incident and to try to find out why the convoy was targeted.
Following the incident, Mr Ging said that UNRWA would have to review its security arrangements in the area. It is the largest UN operation in the Middle East and is the main provider of basic services to more than 4.3 million registered Palestinian refugees.
In a separate incident yesterday gunmen killed a Palestinian intelligence officer loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas. - Mark Rodden