From Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA Commissioner-General as posted on his official X account (previously known as Twitter)
#Gaza
Another day.
Another month.
Another school hit.
Once again, @UNRWA school hit by the Israeli Forces.
The school, in the Middle Areas, was home to nearly 2,000 internally displaced, dozens of casualties were reported.
Since the war began, nine months ago today:
- More than half (or 190) of @UNRWA
facilities have been hit, some multiple times, some directly.
- As a result, 520 people were killed and nearly 1,600 were injured while seeking some safety. Too many were women and children.
A re-occurring claim (among others) from Israel is that our facilities are being used by Palestinian armed groups.
These are claims that I take very seriously . It is exactly why I have repeatedly called for independent investigations to ascertain the facts & identify those responsible for attacks on UN premises or their misuse.
Those responsible must be held accountable for violating international law.
Nine months on this brutal war, I call once again for a #ceasefire under which people in Gaza and Israel would finally get respite & protection + all hostages would be immediately released.
The longer this war goes on, the deeper the rift will become, & the more suffering people will endure.
Enough is enough.
Opinion | The U.N. Relief Agency Protests Israeli Attacks - The New York Times (http://nytimes.com)
Background Information:
UNRWA is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. The United Nations General Assembly established UNRWA in 1949 with a mandate to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to registered Palestine refugees in the Agency’s area of operations pending a just and lasting solution to their plight.
UNRWA operates in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, The Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
Tens of thousands of Palestine refugees who lost their homes and livelihoods due to the 1948 conflict continue to be displaced and in need of support, nearly 75 years on.
UNRWA helps Palestine Refugees achieve their full potential in human development through quality services it provides in education, health care, relief and social services, protection, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance, and emergency assistance. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions.