File Photo: A worker of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) inspects damage to the rooftop of an UNRWA-run school that was previously hit by Israeli bombardment in the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip. AFP
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said in a post on X on Tuesday that nearly 650 incidents were recorded against buildings and facilities belonging to the agency. He added that over two-thirds of its buildings and schools have been damaged or destroyed, noting that the vast majority were used as schools for children before the war.
Since Israel's war on Gaza began in October last year, 258 UNRWA staff members have been killed, and at least 20 are being held in Israeli detention centers, Lazzarini said. He added that those previously released have described suffering "systematic mistreatment, humiliation, and torture."
Lazzarini added that he continues to receive reports of Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups, as well as the Israeli army, occupying their facilities.
UNRWA provides essential services to millions of Palestinians across the Middle East and has underpinned aid efforts in Gaza throughout the Israeli war on Gaza. Israel has accused UNRWA, with little evidence, of being infiltrated by Hamas supporters and passed legislation on Oct. 28 — effective in 90 days — banning the UN agency from operating in the country.
The move has been decried by UNRWA, which denies the allegations, and international aid groups, who have denounced the legislation as an "inhumane ban on vital humanitarian aid," warning that UNRWA serves as a lifeline for Palestinians inside and outside Gaza.
Lazzarini and aid groups have previously warned that the ban could create a significant gap in services within Gaza's already devastated health system, which the Israeli army has repeatedly targeted. He also warned that attacks on UNRWA staff, buildings, and operations in northern Gaza have sharply increased since the start of a deadly Israeli assault there nearly three months ago.
Accordingly, the UNRWA commissioner-general reiterated his call for independent investigations "into the systematic disregard for the protection of humanitarian workers, premises, and operations" in Gaza.
"This cannot become the new standard, and impunity cannot become the new norm," he stressed.
Lazzarini emphasized that the rules of war are clear: humanitarian workers and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and UN buildings, should not be targeted; civilians must be protected; and hostage-taking is prohibited. He also called for the release of all detained humanitarian staff and hostages, the facilitation of humanitarian access to those in need, and the lifting of the siege on Gaza to allow much-needed supplies, including for the winter.
He concluded with the hashtag: #CeasefireNow.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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