The protection of civilians must be upheld at all times, the head
of the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees, UNRWA, said on Saturday,
appealing for an end to attacks on places such as schools....
“Let me be clear: protecting civilians in times of conflict is
not an aspiration or an ideal; it is an obligation and a
commitment to our shared humanity,” UNRWA Commissioner General
Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement.
Relentless air strikes and bombardments, coupled with evacuation
orders from Israel, have displaced nearly one million people in
Gaza, he said. Many civilians have been killed and injured.
Overcrowded shelters
Some 500,000 people are currently sheltering in UNRWA facilities,
and those in the southern cities of Khan Younis and Rafah have
become overcrowded. Many have taken refuge in UNRWA
buildings that were not set up to be shelters where the living
conditions are just untenable.
Mr. Lazzarini said that since the war began on 7 October, UNRWA
has been regularly providing the coordinates of all its
facilities across the Gaza Strip to all relevant parties.
Nevertheless, at least 35 have been impacted so far, and some
were directly hit.
17 colleagues killed
“We are devastated to receive continuous reports of civilians
killed in Gaza, including at UNRWA," he said.
"To date, 17 of our colleagues have been confirmed killed in this
vicious war. Very sadly, the actual numbers are likely to be
higher. Some of our staff were killed with their families while
sleeping in their beds at home.”
Duty to protect
Mr. Lazzarini recalled “the non-negotiable legal obligations” of
warring parties to protect civilians at all times, and to refrain
from attacks on civilian facilities “including schools,
hospitals, places of worship, and civilians’ homes, including
those of UNRWA staff.”
He echoed the UN Secretary-General calls on all parties to reach
an urgent humanitarian ceasefire, saying “this is the only way
out of this mayhem; any other way will plunge Gaza – and the
world – deeper into fathomless, dark depths.”
