Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), revealed that approximately 200 agency staff members have been killed since the onset of the Israeli war on Gaza.
During a joint press conference with Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration, and Expatriates Affairs, Badr Abdel Atty, Lazzarini stated that “50% of our facilities in Gaza have been destroyed, and over 500 people were killed while sheltering in our premises.”
Lazzarini expressed grave concerns about the potential loss of an entire generation’s education and the opportunity for a better future in Gaza.
He noted that the majority of schools in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed due to the ongoing conflict.
He also highlighted that around 250,000 people have been displaced from Khan Younis in southern Gaza for the sixth or seventh time, emphasizing the absence of any safe place in the region.
The discussions at the conference focused on supporting the work of UNRWA and addressing the humanitarian challenges in Gaza.
A few days ago, Lazzarini warned of the dangers posed by unexploded bombs scattered among the rubble of destroyed homes in Gaza.
He urged all parties to reach a long-overdue ceasefire without further delay.
Since October 7, Israel has been waging a war on Gaza that has resulted in 38,153 deaths and 87,828 injuries, most of whom are children and women, according to the latest figures from the Gaza Ministry of Health.
The ongoing conflict in Gaza has been identified as the most lethal for journalists and media workers globally, as highlighted in an Al Jazeera report.
According to Gaza’s Government Media Office, separate Israeli strikes have killed at least three journalists in the Nuseirat refugee camp and two in Gaza City.
Among those killed in Nuseirat were Amjad Jahjouh and Rizq Abu Ashkian from the Palestine Media Agency, and Wafa Abu Dabaan from the Islamic University Radio in Gaza.
Al Jazeera reported that the strike on Nuseirat resulted in ten fatalities, including Abu Dabaan and Jahjouh’s children.
