The head of the United Nations' Palestinian refugee agency warned Monday of a “deliberate and orchestrated campaign” aimed at ending its operations, as Israel accuses the organization of employing more than 450 “military agents” from Hamas and other armed groups.
Philippe Lazzarini on Monday did not specifically address the Israeli army's recent allegations, but criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for “openly declaring that UNRWA will not be part of the postwar Gaza Strip.”
“UNRWA is facing a deliberate and orchestrated campaign to undermine its operations and ultimately end them,” Lazzarini, head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), told the UN General Assembly. U.N.
“The implementation of this plan is already underway with the destruction of our infrastructure throughout the Gaza Strip,” he said.
“The dissolution of UNRWA is shortsighted. In doing so, we will sacrifice an entire generation of children and sow the seeds of hatred, resentment and future conflict.”
Israel in January accused 12 UNRWA officials of involvement in the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants, prompting 16 countries to suspend a total of $450 million in aid.
UNRWA staff were fired and an independent internal UN investigation was launched.
“The fate of the organization and the millions of people who depend on it are at stake,” Lazzarini told the General Assembly, describing UNRWA as “the backbone of humanitarian assistance in Gaza.”
UNRWA employs 13,000 people in Gaza, runs schools, health clinics and other social services, and distributes humanitarian aid. According to the United Nations, about 3,000 people are still working in Gaza, where 576,000 people a quarter of the population are one step away from famine.
“In Gaza, the UN itself is a terrorist organization,” Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan told the General Assembly on Monday.
The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, which Israel said killed around 1,200 people and captured 253 hostages. About 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's air and ground strikes in Gaza since then, according to health authorities in the Hamascontrolled enclave.
Portal This publication, including information and data, is the intellectual property of Portal. Their use or name is expressly prohibited without the prior permission of Portal. All rights reserved.