In a statement released on Friday, UNRWA condemned the actions of the Israeli military, describing the incident as a disturbing development that marks a blatant disregard for the sanctity of United Nations facilities.
These people have already lost their homes due to the prolonged Israeli war, which continued for more than 15 months until a ceasefire took hold on 19 January.
UNRWA made the comment on its website about the situation in the city of Jenin in the northern West Bank, a day after the Israeli army blew up 21 homes in three neighborhoods in the Jenin refugee camp.
Israeli laws targeting the work of the UNRWA in the Palestinian territories came into effect last Thursday, meaning that hundreds of thousands of refugees will be deprived of essential services, including education and healthcare.
The chief of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees has condemned the Israeli regime over relentless attacks on the international agency and harming the lives and future of Palestinians across the occupied territories.
At least 2,000 Palestinian families have been displaced as a result of the Israeli deadly raids on Jenin refugee camp since mid-December, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has reported.
Lazzarini also indicated that attacks on aid convoys in Gaza may decrease once humanitarian assistance begins to flow following the ceasefire. He emphasized that UNRWA remains committed to continuing its operations in both Gaza and the occupied West Bank, despite the Israeli-imposed ban on its activities set to take effect on January 30, 2025.
“We need rapid, unhindered and uninterrupted humanitarian access to respond to the tremendous suffering in Gaza. A ceasefire is only a starting point,” Philippe Lazzarini said during a news conference at UN headquarters in New York.
The Commissioner-General of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has called for support for the international body to carry out its mission in Gaza Strip.
In a statement published on UNRWA’s platform on X, Lazzarini affirmed that family records of Palestinian refugees have been preserved and archived over the past 75 years.
This was stated by UNRWA's Director of Communications and Media, Juliette Touma, in an interview with Radio and Television Ireland (RTE), the content of which was transmitted by the agency on its account via X.
“From our point of view, UNRWA, and we’ve said this many times, is the backbone of the humanitarian response, and we believe it to be irreplaceable,” Farhan Haq told reporters.
The UN agency stated in a series of posts on its account on X, yesterday evening, Sunday, that its teams are working to deliver aid to those in need, but stressed that it is "not enough at all."
'Blankets, mattresses, and other winter supplies have been stuck in the region for months waiting for approval to get into Gaza,' Philippe Lazzarini says, referring to Israel's blockade of coastal enclave.
The head of UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has denounced an escalation of Israeli strikes across Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours saying that all rules of warfare have been broken.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric confirmed during the daily press briefing that the school in Khan Younis was sheltering many displaced persons, including children, women and the elderly, denouncing the killing of civilians.
In a press interview, Lazzarini emphasized that the true motivation behind Israel’s campaign against UNRWA was not the alleged issues regarding several members of the agency’s staff, but rather the objective of stripping Palestinian refugees of their right to return.
“Today marks International Human Rights Day,” said UNRWA. The extent of suffering witnessed in Gaza over the past year has shaken faith in many people’s faith in human rights. The rights being denied to people in Gaza are the same rights intended to protect all of us. We all have a stake in Gaza.”
The draft resolution affirms the General Assembly’s support for the mandate of UNRWA in all its fields of operation, namely Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the occupied Palestinian territories.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees has warned that extreme winter weather challenges nearly one million Palestinians displaced as a result of Israeli atrocities against the besieged strip.