Lazzarini Calls Israel Damages UNRWA Office In West Bank, IDF Blames Militants

JAKARTA - Israel's Buldozer damaged the UN aid agency UNRWA's office in the Nur Shams camp, the West Bank on Thursday, the head of the institution said, while Israel denied the allegations and blamed the militant group.

UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini in his post on social media X wrote the office was badly damaged and could no longer be used.

"The office is the center for providing basic services to more than 14,000 Palestinian refugees in the camp, including learning for children, health, sanitation and social protection," he wrote on X as quoted November 1.

"Once again, United Nations facilities are routinely ignored, even though these facilities must be protected at any time, including during the conflict," he continued.

Using bulldozers, Israeli Forces severely damaged today (Thursday) the @UNRWA office in the Nur Shams Camp, north of the #WestBank.

The office can no longer be used. It was the hub to deliver basic services to more than 14,000 Palestine Refugees in the camp, including… pic.twitter.com/QFAR4LcPRb

— Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) October 31, 2024

Using bulldozers, Israeli Forces have certainly survived today (THursday) the @UNRWA office in the Nur Shams Camp, north of the #WestBank.

The office can no longer be used. It was the hub to deliver basic services to more than 14,000 Palestine Refugees in the camp, including... pic.twitter.com/QFAR4LcPRb

Meanwhile, the Israeli military (IDF) in its statement denies responsibility for any damage to the building.

"The claim that the UNRWA office in Nur Shams was destroyed by the IDF army was false," the statement read, referring to the Israel Defense Forces.

"Militan planted explosives around the UNRWA office which was then detonated in an attempt to injure the IDF soldiers. The explosives may have caused damage to the building," the IDF statement said.

Earlier, Israel on Monday passed a law banning UNRWA from operating in the country, a law that could affect its work in war-torn Gaza.

The MPs who drafted the law cited what they described as the involvement of some UNRWA staff in the October 7, 2023 attacks on southern Israel, as well as staff members of Hamas and other armed groups.

The United Nations, after conducting an investigation, said in August that nine UNRWA staff may have been involved in the October 7 attack and fired them. UNRWA said most of its staff adhered to the principles of neutrality.

Lazzarini himself called the vote to ban UNRWA as a "dangerous precedent" against the UN charter and violated Israel's obligations under international law.