• ​​​​​'The situation we thought before the ceasefire was already hellish that we have reached the bottom ... since the breakdown of this ceasefire, it seems the situation has gone even worse': UNRWA head

ISTANBUL/ANTALYA

The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), described the "hellish" situation in the Gaza Strip and said Friday it has worsened after a ceasefire was broken.

Philippe Lazzarini responded to questions from Anadolu about the situation in Gaza during the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF).

Noting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ statement that Gaza has "turned into a killing zone," Lazzarini said: "There is absolutely no safe place and people are constantly on the move, constantly on the evacuation order, displacement order."

He described challenges faced by residents, who, in addition to daily bombings, are "struggling with spreading and deepening hunger, are struggling with diseases, an extraordinary, also filthy, living condition."

Lazzarini remarked: "The situation we thought before the ceasefire was already hellish, that we have reached the bottom. But since the breakdown of this ceasefire, it seems the situation has gone even worse."

'There is no humanitarian aid to be distributed'

Lazzarini highlighted that UNRWA employs more than 12,000 Palestinian staff in Gaza but noted that "when it comes to distribution of humanitarian aid, there is no humanitarian aid to be distributed anymore, and the crossing has been sealed now a month ago, so the assistance within the Gaza Strip has been almost completely depleted now."

He explained that after Israel resumed attacks, the UN decided to reduce its presence on March 24 for "security" reasons.

"We have also seen that a tragic incident has hit the residency where the United Nations is operating from, with many international staff being injured and one having been killed," he said.

He added: "All this has justified this decision, and when it comes to the crossing, we are constantly calling for the lifting of the blockade and the siege. We are constantly calling for unhindered, uninterrupted, unskilled flow of humanitarian assistance in the Gaza Strip, and we are also constantly calling for the release of the hostages. "

Regarding Israel’s targeting of 15 Palestinian health and civil defense workers in Gaza, Lazzarini said it again showed "the total disregard for the humanitarian workers, total disregard for international humanitarian law."

Lazzarini noted that since Oct; 7, 2023, more than 400 humanitarian workers, including over 280 from UNRWA, have been killed in Israeli attacks.

"This latest incident (killing of 15 aid workers) has certainly reached a new level because these people were clearly identified. No one could ignore the presence of this incident, and they seem to have been killed one by one. This is a new level because these individuals were clearly identified. No one can ignore the existence of this incident, and it seems like they were systematically killed," said Lazzarini.

He stressed the importance of conducting an international independent investigation to collect facts surrounding the killings and ensure accountability, pointing out that those responsible have not been punished thus far.

'War of narrative'

Lazzarini addressed the "war of narrative" in the situation, noting that there is one narrative coming from Israel and another from Gaza, and these narratives "never reconcile."

He praised Palestinian journalists for risking their lives daily to report, stating that their work should be supported by the presence of independent international journalists.

He emphasized the necessity of international journalists operating in the region to prevent misinformation, disinformation and propaganda about events in Gaza.