A UN aid worker was killed in Gaza along with 70 members of his family in an Israeli airstrike

• A UN aid worker was killed in Gaza along with 70 members of his family in an Israeli airstrike.
• Israel's aerial bombardment campaign has killed around 20,000 people, the Gazan health ministry said.
• About 70% of those killed have been women and children, UN agencies have said.

A veteran UN aid worker was killed in Gaza along with 70 members of his extended family in an Israeli airstrike, a UN representative said.

Issam Al-Mughrabi, 56, was killed along with his wife and five children in Gaza City on Friday, United Nations Development Programme administrator Achim Steiner said in a statement.

"The airstrike also reportedly killed more than 70 members of his extended family," it said.

Al-Mughrabi had worked with UNDP for almost 30 years and was a "beloved member" of the team, Steiner said.

"The loss of Issam and his family has deeply affected us all. The UN and civilians in Gaza are not a target," Steiner said.

"This war must end. No more families should endure the pain and suffering that Issam's family and countless others are experiencing."

Israel's aerial bombardment campaign of Gaza in response to the October 7 Hamas terror attacks has devastated the enclave, with the Gaza health ministry reporting about 20,000 people have been killed.

UN agencies have said that nearly 70% of those killed in Gaza are estimated to be women and children.

Israel's use of powerful, heavy bombs on the densely populated enclave has been criticized by war analysts, who say they cause greater damage and civilian casualties.

The Gaza Strip is just 141 square miles with a population of around two million people, making it one of the most densely populated places in the world.

Researchers mapping the damage in Gaza say more than a third of the buildings in the strip have been destroyed.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Saturday that 136 UN workers had been killed in Gaza in 75 days, something that they have "never seen" in UN history, in a post on X.

On Friday, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution calling for more aid for Gaza, but fell short of calling for an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.

The resolution was passed after days of negotiations to avoid a veto by the US, a key ally of Israel and a permanent member of the Security Council. The US abstained in the resolution passed on Friday.