UNRWA Calls for Investigations into Israeli Military Violations

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has demanded "investigations into Israeli violations against it, which included attacks on its buildings and centers that shelter displaced civilians in the Gaza Strip." Juliet Touma, the agency's Director of Media and Communication, noted that "UN facilities are protected under international humanitarian law and should be safe havens for civilians." UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini emphasized that "UN staff have been killed at unprecedented levels in Gaza, and the agency's facilities have been damaged or destroyed." The UN official pointed out that "humanitarian convoys have been attacked, looted, or prevented from reaching their destinations, with no one being held accountable." Lazzarini affirmed that "the misinformation war is still raging, including the war against UNRWA," calling for support for Palestinian journalists, whom he described as heroes, by allowing their international journalist counterparts to enter Gaza to continue what he referred to as independent, factual, and courageous reporting.