Lazzarini reiterates that Israel has not provided them with evidence to support the accusations against UNRWA

The commissioner general of the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, reiterated this Wednesday that Israel has not provided them with evidence to support the accusations against the agency, despite insistent requests, for which indicates that it cannot address “allegations for which it has no evidence” and that are used to undermine the agency.

“UNRWA is an easy target for parties to the conflict who consider its presence and activities as a threat,” he declared, recalling that the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) has publicly accused the agency, “especially its senior managers.” , of conspiring with the Israeli occupation”.

Lazzarini, who has emphasized that the organization has been “a victim of the war” in Gaza by registering more than 240 dead members, has regretted that it has also been “the subject of a fierce global disinformation campaign.” “Attacks against UNRWA are justified by accusations that the agency is in collusion with or infiltrated by Hamas. UNRWA takes these accusations of violations of neutrality very seriously,” he warned.

For this reason, they have insisted that, although they do not operate in a zero-risk environment, they adopt a “zero tolerance” approach to any proven infraction. However, UNRWA’s independent neutrality review concluded that the agency has a neutrality framework “more robust than any comparable entity.”

In this sense, he recalled that for more than 15 years they have shared the names of their staff annually with the Government of Israel and currently share it quarterly. “This includes the names of officials about whom the (Israeli) Government had never before expressed concern, but who are now included in lists alleging armed militancy,” he criticized.

On the other hand, he has warned that the situation for the Palestinians is also at risk in the West Bank, as well as in other parts of the region, such as Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. “The implementation of the Israeli Parliament’s legislation will have catastrophic consequences,” he warned.

“In the absence of a capable public administration or state, UNRWA alone can provide education to more than 660,000 girls and boys across Gaza. Without UNRWA, an entire generation will be denied the right to education. Their future will be sacrificed , sowing the seeds of marginalization and extremism (…) In the West Bank, the collapse of UNRWA would deprive at least 50,000 children of education and half a million. Palestinian refugees for primary health care,” he noted.