Hello and welcome to the details of Israel out to destroy UNRWA, says agency chief and now with the details
Nevin Al Sukari - Sana'a - People walk past the damaged Gaza City headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) on February 15, 2024, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the militant group Hamas. ― AFP pic
GENEVA, Switzerland, Feb 17 ― Israel is waging a concerted campaign aimed at destroying UNRWA, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees said in an interview published today.
Philippe Lazzarini said calls for his resignation were part of the Israeli government’s push.
“Right now we are dealing with an expanded, concerted campaign by Israel aimed at destroying UNRWA,” he told the Swiss newspaper group Tamedia.
“It is a long-term political goal because it is believed that if the aid agency is abolished, the status of the Palestinian refugees will be resolved once and for all ― and with it, the right of return. There is a much larger political goal behind this.
Advertisement
“Just look at the number of actions Israel is taking against UNRWA,” the main aid body in the Gaza Strip, he said.
He cited measures in the Israeli parliament, moves to remove the agency’s VAT exemption and orders for contractors at Israel’s port of Ashdod to “stop handling certain food deliveries for UNRWA”.
“And all these demands come from the government.”
Advertisement
Furthermore, Lazzarini says more than 150 UNRWA installations have been hit since the Gaza war began.
Israel has called for Lazzarini to step down following claims that a Hamas tunnel had been discovered under its evacuated Gaza City headquarters.
Lazzarini said the tunnel was 20 metres below ground and UNRWA as a humanitarian organisation did not have the capabilities to be examining what was underground in Gaza.
He also said Israel was alone in calling for him to quit and there was “no reason” to comply with a single UN member state’s demand for him to go, “especially since my resignation would not improve the situation at UNRWA”.
“The criticisms are not concerned with me personally, but with the organisation as a whole. The calls for resignation are part of the campaign to destroy UNRWA”, he said.
The Gaza war began with Hamas’ October 7 attack which resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Militants also took about 250 people hostage, around 130 of whom are still in Gaza, including 30 who are presumed dead, according to Israeli figures.
Israel’s subsequent assault on Gaza has since killed at least 28,775 people, mostly women and children, according to the territory’s health ministry. ― AFP
These were the details of the news Israel out to destroy UNRWA, says agency chief for this day. We hope that we have succeeded by giving you the full details and information. To follow all our news, you can subscribe to the alerts system or to one of our different systems to provide you with all that is new.
It is also worth noting that the original news has been published and is available at Malay Mail and the editorial team at AlKhaleej Today has confirmed it and it has been modified, and it may have been completely transferred or quoted from it and you can read and follow this news from its main source.
