The head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees told The Associated Press on Wednesday there is no safe haven in besieged Gaza for civilians — not even in U.N. shelters and so-called “safe zones” designated by Israel.
Quick Read
- No Safe Havens in Gaza: Philippe Lazzarini, head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), stated there are no safe places in Gaza for civilians, not even in U.N. shelters or designated “safe zones.”
- U.N. Facilities Hit: Over 80 U.N. facilities in Gaza have been impacted, primarily by Israeli airstrikes, since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.
- Civilian Casualties in Conflict: In the October 7 Hamas-led incursion into Israel, approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed. Israel’s subsequent military response in Gaza has resulted in over 16,200 deaths, largely women and children.
- U.N. Shelter Casualties: More than 220 Palestinians in U.N. shelters have been killed, and 130 UNRWA employees lost their lives in the conflict.
- Need for Investigation: Lazzarini believes an independent investigation is required into the strikes on U.N. premises, while Israel denies targeting U.N. facilities but accuses Hamas of using them for military purposes.
- Displacement Crisis: Around 1.87 million Palestinians have fled their homes, with U.N.-run shelters housing over 1 million people in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions.
- Focus on Shelter Improvement: UNRWA is working on enhancing conditions in existing shelters rather than relocating people to potentially unsafe areas.
- Israeli Military’s Comments: Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Richard Hecht suggested pressure on UNRWA to establish proper facilities, though the feasibility in the confined area is unclear.
- Call for Cease-Fire and Aid Access: Lazzarini advocates for a new cease-fire and opening more border crossings for aid, as current access is severely limited to the Rafah crossing from Egypt.
- UNRWA’s Role and Challenges: Founded post-1948 to aid displaced Palestinians, UNRWA has faced criticism from some Israeli politicians but maintains its mission to serve a vulnerable population.
- Post-War Assistance and Hope for Resolution: Post-conflict, UNRWA is prepared to assist in restoring services and hopes the war will catalyze a political process leading to a conflict resolution.
The Associated Press has the story:
UNRWA Chief denounces ‘blatant disregard’ in Mideast war after 80 UN sites are hit
Newslooks- BEIRUT (AP)
The head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees told The Associated Press on Wednesday there is no safe haven in besieged Gaza for civilians — not even in U.N. shelters and so-called “safe zones” designated by Israel.
Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner general of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, also known as UNRWA, said in an interview with the AP that since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, more than 80 U.N. facilities in the Gaza Strip have been hit, mainly by Israeli airstrikes.
During the deadly Hamas-led Oct. 7 incursion into southern Israel, the militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took captive some 240 men, women and children. Israel responded with an aerial bombardment and ground offensive inside Gaza that has so far killed more than 16,200 people in the enclave, most of them women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory’s Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths.
The U.N. facilities hit “directly or indirectly” in Gaza include sites that have been sheltering civilians, Lazzarini said. UNRWA has said that more than 220 Palestinians were killed in such strikes, and that 130 of its employees also lost their lives in the war.
“There is absolutely no safe place in the Gaza Strip,” Lazzarini said, speaking to the AP in Beirut.
While the circumstances of those strikes are difficult to investigate amid the ongoing conflict, he said, “I do believe that the blatant disregard of U.N. premises … will require an independent investigation in the future.”
Israeli officials have said they don’t target U.N. facilities, but have also accused Hamas of using U.N. buildings for cover for its military activities.
The U.N. says some 1.87 million Palestinians — over 80% of Gaza’s population — have fled their homes. U.N.-run shelters currently house more than 1 million displaced in “totally overcrowded, appalling sanitary conditions,” Lazzarini said.
When he visited Gaza shortly before a seven-day cease-fire ended last week, shelters were already overcrowded with those who had fled heavy fighting in the northern half of the territory, he said. As the Israeli ground offensive pushed into the southern part of the strip, civilians have been forced into ever smaller areas along the closed-off border with Egypt.
Lazzarini said UNRWA is focusing on improving conditions in existing shelters, including its network of schools across Gaza.
“We do not want to put the people in places which are not necessarily safer, when at the same time, you have more than 1 million people in existing shelters living in appalling conditions,” he said.
Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, an Israeli military spokesman, alleged earlier this week that “there should be pressure on” UNRWA to set up proper facilities. Israel has never explained how it expects that the small area would accommodate such large numbers of displaced people.
Lazzarini called for a new cease-fire and for opening more border crossings to allow aid and commercial goods to enter Gaza. Currently, aid can only enter the strip from Egypt via the Rafah border crossing, causing severe bottlenecks.
The refugee agency’s relationship with Israeli authorities has in the past been adversarial at times, with right-wing Israeli politicians accusing UNRWA, which was founded in the wake of the creation of Israel in 1948 to serve hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled or were forced from their homes, of helping perpetuating the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
UNRWA has pushed back against such claims, saying it is simply carrying out its mandate to serve a vulnerable population.
Lazzarini said that in the current Israel-Hamas war, UNRWA is in “constant coordination” with Israeli authorities. Post-war, he said, the agency is prepared to assist whatever body is governing the strip in restoring services that have halted, including reopening schools.
Lazzarini added that he hopes the devastating conflict will trigger a political process that will lead to a resolution that would make his agency obsolete.
“Will this become a top priority of the region and the international community that once and for all we address the longest unresolved conflict,” he asked. “If yes, there can be a trajectory of hope for the people here in the region and the future for UNRWA in fact, would very much depend on that.”
