site.btaBulgaria to Insist that Guilty Party Take Responsibility, Compensate Family of Bulgarian UN Staffer Killed in Gaza

Bulgaria will insist that the guilty party take responsibility, apologize, compensate the family and prevent similar incidents in the future, given the fact that Bulgarian humanitarian workers are still in Gaza, Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev said during Thursday's Question Time in Parliament. He was asked by Ivaylo Mirchev MP of Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria about the Bulgarian UN staff member who died in Gaza last month.

Bulgaria strongly condemns any attack against humanitarian missions, diplomatic staff and UN officials and awaits the results of the full investigation, which would allow to consider possible next steps on Bulgaria's part, Georgiev said. Further steps on the part of the Bulgarian government would be possible once responsibility for the incident had been unequivocally established, the Minister said.

Any statement made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that is not substantiated by evidence from the investigation carries legal consequences, Georgiev noted, adding that the Ministry will express an official position after the final reports are completed.

According to UN rules and practice, in cases of identified victims, the countries whose nationals they are can receive detailed information on the security aspects of incidents, the Minister explains.

On March 19, the United Nations said a foreign staffer was killed and five other workers were wounded in an Israeli airstrike on the site of a UN headquarters in central Gaza City. The Israeli military denied it had struck the UN compound in Deir al-Balah, Reuters reported.