The head of the United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees (Unrwa), Philippe Lazzarini, assured this Thursday that a third of the Palestinians murdered since the beginning of the Israeli siege of the Gaza Strip, now numbering over 11,500, lost their lives south of this territory, where Israel forced them to relocate because it was supposedly a safer area.
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With Israeli bombing expanding into neighborhoods, schools, health centers, places of worship, UNRWA shelters and teaching centers, and other civilian infrastructure, the official recognized days ago that “there is no safe place in Gaza, not even in the north.” Whether in the south or in the central zone, not even the UN compound is safe.
In the last few hours, the media reported that the Israeli army dropped leaflets on cities in the south of the Gaza Strip, urging their residents to evacuate to safe areas and shelters, without mentioning, however, what type they were or where they were condition.
The leaflets were thrown to residents of the communities of Al Qarara, Khuza’a, Bani Suheila and Abasan, which lie east of Khan Younis and are home to an estimated 100,000 people.
Zionist troops said they were forced to operate in residential areas due to what they called “attacks by the terrorist group Hamas,” an intimidation tactic they have already used in the northern Gaza Strip.
Since October 7, Israeli bombings have forcibly displaced nearly 1.6 million people in the Gaza Strip. This number exceeds the 750,000 Palestinians expelled from their land by armed force during the Nakba in 1948, following the establishment of the State of Israel.
This Thursday, Lazzarini, together with heads of UN organizations, signed a statement saying that they will not participate in the creation of a “safe zone” unless the parties to the conflict agree.
He recalled that these areas need a surveillance mechanism that guarantees security, provides them with resources to meet basic needs, including food, water, shelter, hygiene and health care, and allows the free movement of civilians.
Condemns smear campaign against UNRWA
During a press conference, the head of UNRWA denounced the selective campaign against the organization’s network of schools in Gaza, where almost 800,000 Palestinians are still refugees. He denied that hate speech was taught in these centers and that its staff had been linked to the Al-Aqsa operation “Deluge”.
He assured that all aid coming through Unrwa is used directly, that its diversion is not allowed and that it is contracted between suppliers and Unrwa employees, who are vetted by Israel.
Finally, he reiterated that the agency is running out of fuel and will therefore not be able to serve the Palestinian people. He assured that “there is a deliberate attempt to stall our operation and paralyze UNRWA operations.” Previously, Lazzarini had publicly stated that the occupying power was using the fuel issue as a weapon of war.