Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner general of Unrwa, stated that there is a deliberate campaign to close down the agency, spearheaded by the Israeli government, due to allegations regarding staff connections to Hamas. He emphasized that this push would have dire implications for the structure of the UN and the pursuit of Palestinian self-determination, marking a critical juncture for the future of the region's humanitarian efforts.
In light of the recent bombing of an Unrwa school and the killing of staff members, Lazzarini expressed that the situation represents a significant escalation. He pointed out that the IDF had not previously disclosed that any of the deceased staff were affiliated with Hamas, raising grave concerns about accountability and the protection of civilians within conflict zones.
Lazzarini called for an independent investigation to assess the growing number of casualties among Unrwa personnel since the conflict began on October 7 last year. Notably, he highlighted that 220 of his agency's staff have died in the line of duty, illustrating the severe impacts of the ongoing violence on humanitarian operations and raising calls for safeguarding the agency’s mission.
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