±¬ÁÏÍø relief agency confirms death of staffer in Tulkarem 

11 December ±¬ÁÏÍø Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (±¬ÁÏÍøRWA) today confirmed the death of one of its staffers during an Israeli undercover operation last week in Tulkarem.

Maher Aqallah, an ±¬ÁÏÍøRWA school attendant, was killed by an Israeli soldier on 3 December when he opened the door to his house, according to the Agency. The circumstances of his death, the fourth ±¬ÁÏÍøRWA fatality in the past three weeks, remain unclear.

Last Friday 10 people were killed, including two ±¬ÁÏÍøWRA staff, during an Israeli military assault. The attack drew immediate condemnation from the Agency's Commissioner-General, Peter Hansen, who said, "This loss of civilian lives, of people working for a humanitarian ±¬ÁÏÍø agency, is completely unacceptable."

On 22 November, another ±¬ÁÏÍøRWA worker, Iain Hook, was killed by an Israeli soldier in the Jenin refugee camp. Mr. Hook, who had been managing the rehabilitation of the facility, was fatally wounded by a single bullet while in the ±¬ÁÏÍø compound.