DaysofPal- The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, confirmed that more than 300 of the agency’s staff in the Gaza Strip were killed during Israel’s genocidal war on the territory.
Lazzarini explained that the vast majority of the agency’s fallen employees were killed by the Israeli army along with their children and loved ones, while many others were martyred while performing their duties serving their communities.
He noted that most of the martyrs were healthcare workers and teachers affiliated with the United Nations who supported their communities.
The UNRWA Commissioner-General emphasized, “Nothing justifies the crimes in Gaza, and impunity will lead to more killings.”
In an earlier statement, Lazzarini mentioned that the Israeli army had arrested more than 50 of the agency’s employees since the start of the war in Gaza, including teachers and doctors, who were tortured and used as human shields.
It is worth noting that UNRWA was established in December 1949 by the United Nations General Assembly and employs around 18,000 staff in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including 13,000 in the education sector and 1,500 in the health sector, providing support to refugees both locally and in neighboring countries.
In November last year, the Israeli Foreign Ministry announced that it had officially informed the United Nations of the cancellation of the agreement signed with UNRWA, which allowed the agency to provide support and operate in Palestine.
With full U.S. backing, Israel continues to commit acts of genocide in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, resulting in over 174,000 deaths and injuries so far, most of whom are children and women, in addition to more than 11,000 missing persons.
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