Gaza City, Gaza - The UN called for an explanation after Israeli troops riddled a World Food Programme car with bullets in the latest shocking attack on humanitarian workers in Gaza.

"Yesterday evening, a clearly marked UN humanitarian vehicle, part of a convoy that had been fully coordinated with the (Israel Defense Forces) was struck 10 times by IDF gunfire," UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Wednesday.

"Whether the information wasn't passed down, whether it was deliberate, whether there was another reason – those are explanations we would like to get," Dujarric said.

The two UN staff members inside the vehicle that was hit on Tuesday evening were not harmed, as they had been travelling in an armored car, according to the spokesperson.

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The vehicle was provided by the World Food Programme (WFP) which temporarily suspended the movement of its staff in Gaza in response to the incident.

According to the WFP, the incident happened a few yards from an Israeli checkpoint in central Gaza after a team of aid workers in two UN cars had escorted trucks carrying humanitarian aid.

Although the convoy had explicit authorization to travel, Israeli soldiers opened fire.

When asked whether the UN sees a connection to Israeli representatives branding the organization as terrorist supporters, Dujarric responded that there had been "pretty direct rhetoric" against the UN in the past, adding that "words have consequences."

"We've expressed our worries, our concern about the language that has been used to demonize the UN."

Israel has regularly targeted and killed humanitarian workers and an unprecedented number of UN employees in Gaza since October 7, adding to a long list of war crime accusations.