Senior UN Official Gilles Michaud Held, Questioned by Israel over Gaza Visit
A senior United Nations official was briefly detained and interrogated by Israeli authorities after arriving in Israel over an official visit he made to the Gaza Strip last year.
Key Developments
- Israel detained senior UN official Gilles Michaud at Ben Gurion Airport on Tuesday.
- Michaud was questioned over a Gaza visit carried out in August 2025.
- The UN official said the treatment was “unusual” for someone of his position.
Senior UN Official Detained
Gilles Michaud, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security, was briefly detained and interrogated by Israeli authorities on Tuesday after arriving at Ben Gurion Airport, according to Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
The newspaper reported that Michaud, a Canadian national responsible for overseeing security operations for the United Nations worldwide, was held for approximately 45 minutes upon his arrival near Tel Aviv.
According to the report, Michaud’s passport was confiscated during airport security procedures before he was transferred to a waiting area and questioned by Israel’s Shin Bet internal security agency.
Israeli officials cited by the newspaper later alleged that the incident was a “case of mistaken identity,” saying the senior UN official was released shortly afterward.
Questioning over Gaza Visit
According to Yedioth Ahronoth, the questioning centered on an official visit Michaud made to the Gaza Strip in August 2025.
The report noted that the visit had been coordinated in advance with Israeli authorities, though Israeli security personnel reportedly questioned Michaud regarding the nature of the trip after his arrival this week.
No formal accusations against the UN official were reported.
Michaud later described the treatment as “unusual” for a senior United Nations official and unlike any experience he had encountered in other countries, according to the newspaper.
The report added that the UN official was considering canceling scheduled meetings in Israel following the incident, although no additional details were provided regarding the purpose or duration of his visit.
Growing Tensions
The incident comes amid growing tensions between Israeli authorities and United Nations officials and agencies over the ongoing genocide in Gaza, humanitarian access, and repeated international criticism of Israeli military operations in the besieged Palestinian enclave.
The Gaza Strip has remained a central issue at the United Nations since Israel launched its genocidal war following the events of October 7, 2023.
According to Palestinian officials cited in the report, more than 72,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 172,000 injured since the start of the genocide.
Although a ceasefire agreement reportedly took effect in October 2025, Palestinian officials and humanitarian organizations continue to accuse Israel of carrying out daily attacks and maintaining restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Increasing Restrictions
The detention of Michaud also comes amid increasing scrutiny of Israel’s treatment of international humanitarian organizations, UN agencies, and foreign officials involved in Gaza-related operations.
International organizations have repeatedly raised concerns over restrictions on humanitarian access, attacks on aid workers, and limitations imposed on foreign delegations attempting to assess conditions inside the enclave.
The United Nations has consistently warned that humanitarian conditions in Gaza remain catastrophic due to continued destruction, shortages of food and medicine, and the collapse of medical infrastructure.
Several UN officials and agencies have also accused Israel of obstructing aid operations and restricting the movement of humanitarian personnel.
(PC, Anadolu, Israeli Media)