The victim was hit on Thursday night on the roof of his house by a sniper during an Israeli military operation in the north of the West Bank, the agency said in a press release.

According to the Agency, the event marked another dark event, with the first murder of an UNRWA employee in the West Bank in more than 10 years.

The agency announced the temporary suspension of its activities due to the violence in that occupied territory, a decision that, according to Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary General, was not taken lightly.

The spokesman also confirmed an investigation into the incident.

This week, six other UNRWA workers were killed in an Israeli airstrike against the New Nuseirat school, located in central Gaza and attacked for the fifth time since the beginning of the conflict.

According to Tel Aviv authorities, the operation targeted a Hamas command center, located inside the building.

UN Secretary General António Guterres condemned the murder and killing of civilians in Gaza after 11 months of war.

“The continued lack of effective protection of civilians in Gaza is unacceptable,” the UN chief stressed in a statement that also called for protection for civilians and the infrastructure on which they depend, as well as meeting the essential needs of civilians.

Guterres also called on the parties to refrain from using schools, shelters or surrounding areas for military purposes.

To date, more than 220 UNRWA workers have been victims of the Israeli offensive, which has claimed nearly 41,000 Palestinian lives in Gaza.

Ied/npg/ebr