UNRWA On Israel's Unstoppable Attack On Gaza: The Smell Of Death Is Everywhere

Israeli Attacks On Al Aqsa Gaza/UnRWA Hospital Complex

JAKARTA - UN aid workers in northern Gaza were unable to get food, water or medical care after nearly three weeks of relentless Israeli bombings.

Philippe Lazzarini, Head of the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) outlined the dire conditions experienced by UNRWA staff in the northern part of the enclave, where hundreds of thousands of people faced a dire humanitarian situation amid a new Israeli military offensive.

The smell of death was everywhere when the body was left lying on the street or under the rubble. Efforts to clean the body or provide humanitarian assistance were rejected," he said in a post on X reported by CNN, Tuesday, October 22.

In northern Gaza, people are just waiting for death. They feel abandoned, desperate and alone. They live from one hour to the next, afraid of dying every second," he continued.

CNN previously reported Palestinians fleeing Israeli military operations in northern Gaza were fired upon as they fled, according to residents there.

Lazzarini has again called for a ceasefire even though it is only a few hours to allow safe humanitarian travel for families wishing to leave the area and reach safer places.

"This is a minimal effort to save the lives of civilians that have nothing to do with this conflict," he said.