Lazzarini warns of the malicious Israeli campaign targeting UNRWA in Gaza Strip

UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini warned of the malicious Israeli campaign targeting UNRWA to eliminate its work in the Gaza Strip, stressing that UNRWA is the backbone of the relief and coordination of humanitarian operations and life-saving aid in Gaza.

Lazzarini said in a briefing to the UN Security Council last night: “UNRWA is facing a campaign to remove it from the occupied Palestinian territory. In Gaza, the Israeli government is seeking to end the agency’s activities, and what is worse is targeting UNRWA facilities and employees since the beginning of the war. He noted that the facilities evacuated by UNRWA in Gaza were used by Israeli forces for military purposes, and that UNRWA’s headquarters were militarily occupied”.

Lazzarini pointed out that the occupation forces killed 178 UNRWA employees in Gaza since October 7.

Lazzarini added: “The impending famine in Gaza is man-made. In the north, infants and young children have begun to die due to malnutrition and dehydration.

In turn, member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Ziad Abu Amr, explained that UNRWA is not just a humanitarian project, but rather a historical witness to the international community’s commitment towards the Palestinian refugees who were displaced from their homes due to the Nakba of 1948.

Abu Amr stressed that Israeli misinformation campaigns against UNRWA are not new, calling on the international community to put pressure on “Israel” to immediately stop obstructing UNRWA operations.

For his part, Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf pointed out that the international community is required today to respond with a bold and courageous stance to protect UNRWA and facilitate the continuity of its vital activities.

Souha Suleiman