UNRWA chief: Israel’s allegations make UN staff legitimate targets

The  commissioner-general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) yesterday warned that Israel’s allegations that the organisation’s staff were involved in the 7 October 2023 attack have made UN personnel legitimate targets.

“The war in Gaza has produced a blatant disregard for the mission of the United Nations, including outrageous attacks on the employees, facilities and operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees,” Philippe Lazzarini said in comments that were reported by the New York Times.

The agency chief called for stopping these attacks and appealed to the world to take action to hold the perpetrators accountable.

He highlighted that the scale and scope of recent attacks against UNRWA staff urgently warrant establishing an independent committee to investigate the assaults.

Lazzarini further remarked that Israel is not only threatening the UNRWA mission and staff’s work but is also undermining the legitimacy of the agency.

Since 7 October, the Israeli occupation army, with US and European support, has carried out its aggression on Gaza. Israeli airstrikes have targeted the vicinity of hospitals, buildings, towers, and Palestinian civilian homes, destroying them over the heads of their inhabitants, and preventing the entry of water, food, medicine, and fuel.

Since October 2023, Israel has killed at least 270 aid workers in Gaza, including 192 UNRWA staff, four other UN staff, at least 42 other aid workers and 32 Red Crescent staff and volunteers of whom 19 were on duty, UN OCHA reported today.

Israel has lobbying hard to have UNRWA closed as it is the only UN agency to have a specific mandate to look after the basic needs of Palestinian refugees. If the agency no longer exists, argues Israel, then the refugee issue must no longer exist, and the legitimate right for Palestinian refugees to return to their land will be unnecessary. Israel has denied that right of return since the late 1940s, even though its own membership of the UN was made conditional upon Palestinian refugees being allowed to return to their homes and land.

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