Israel Urged to Finalize Compensation for Bulgarian UN Worker Killed in Gaza

Jerusalem, 29 June, 2025 (TPS-IL) -- Sofia (BTA) – Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev on Friday said that Sofia insists that Israeli settle the issue of compensation for the family of a Bulgarian national killed during fighting in Gaza in March.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) admitted to mistakenly firing at a UN facility in central Gaza, killing humnanitarian aid worker Captain Marin Marinov in Deir al-Balah on March 19, 2025. Bulgaria called for fair compensation from Israel for Marinov’s family.

Georgiev explained that the compensation for the family is subject to clarification between the UN and the Israel. Israel has been in direct contact with the relatives of Captain Marinov, the Minister added.

Georgiev also said that the Foreign Ministry maintains active communication with the Israeli institutions in order to achieve a fair and clear resolution of the case. He noted that on April 24, an IDF spokesperson acknowledged that a shot from an Israeli tank caused the death of Captain Marinov. He also stated that the IDF and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar apologized for the incident and the amry continues evaluating operational lessons to prevent similar occurences.

The IDF said the United Nations site was mistakenly identified as a building “with an enemy presence” after investigating the incident. Marinov worked for the UN Office for Project Services.