310 UNRWA Staff Killed In Gaza Due To Israeli Onslaught

Palestine (photo: unsplash)

JAKARTA - Head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini revealed that more than 310 UNRWA staff have been killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip since October 2023.

"The UNRWA team (shouldn't have been the target of the attack," said Lazzarini quoting Antara.

He highlighted the case of a staff member named Kamal, whose body was found on March 30 near a mass grave, along with the bodies of humanitarian officers from the Palestinian Crescent Red Cross (PRCS) who also died as a result of an Israeli attack.

"At least he died once or several times on the back of his head. After that, he was buried next to other PRCS colleagues who were also victims," said Lazzarini.

He added that until now there has been no immediate response from the Israeli government even though UNRWA has submitted several requests for clarification regarding Kamal's death.

Kamal is known to have served at UNRWA for more than 20 years. Kamal's life is too valuable to just leave it alone," he said.

Lazzarini insists that immunity actually opens up space for more atrocities. "We are calling for an independent investigation into Kamal's murder case and all UNRWA staff who have died," he added.

Since its establishment in 1949, UNRWA has been the main support for the lives of Palestinian refugees, with service coverage for nearly 5.9 million people in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.

According to World Bank data, nearly 2.4 million Gaza residents now fully depend on humanitarian aid.

However, UNRWA facilities and staff continue to be targeted by Israeli military attacks in the trapped region.

Since October 2023, Israel has rejected international calls for a ceasefire and continues to launch brutal aggression against Gaza, which has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom are women and children.

In November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against Israeli authority leader Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense chief Yoav Gallant on suspicion of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel is also facing genocide lawsuits at the International Court (ICJ) over attacks in the region.