CHICAGO: The commissioner general of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees on Monday denounced the “blatant disregard for international law in Gaza.”
Philippe Lazzarini told the UN’s Summit of the Future that 222 UNRWA staff have been killed and “two-thirds of our buildings have been damaged and destroyed, killing hundreds of people seeking UN protection.”
He said: “Legislative efforts (by Israel) are on the way to evict UNRWA from East Jerusalem, remove its privileges and immunities, and designate it as a terrorist organization.
“Failing to push back against violations of international law, and failing to push back against efforts to intimidate and undermine the UN, sets a dangerous precedent. It will compromise the future of our humanitarian work and the rule of law.”
UNRWA’s “decades-long investment in the future of Palestinian refugees is at risk,” Lazzarini said.
“The scale of human suffering (in Gaza) is immense, and our ability to respond is severely constrained,” he added.
“The international response to the war in Gaza, escalating violence in the West Bank, and the spread of the conflict into Lebanon and across the region is highly concerning.
“International law is implemented selectively or not at all, reinforcing perceptions of inequality and injustice.”
Since 1948, UNRWA has provided services, including education and healthcare, for Palestinian refugees in the Occupied Territories, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.
