RAMALLAH, Friday, October 27, 2023 (WAFA) – Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, has issued a stark warning, stating that history will judge us all if a ceasefire is not established in Gaza.

In a press statement, Lazzarini emphasized the need to protect civilians, regardless of their location, and highlighted the grave humanitarian crisis that has unfolded in the Gaza Strip over the past two weeks.

"More than two weeks now, unbearable images of human tragedy have come out of Gaza. Women, children, and elderly people are being killed, hospitals and schools have been bombarded – no one is spared," Lazzarini expressed.

He pointed out that the United Nations agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, has tragically lost 35 of its staff, many of whom were killed while in their homes with their families.  

Lazzarini noted that the Israel occupation forces have been warning Palestinians in Gaza to move to the southern part of the Gaza Strip as it bombs the north, but the strikes continue in the south as well, leaving nowhere safe in Gaza.

He emphasized the dire situation in Gaza, where 2.2 million people are trapped within 365 square kilometers, described as a large open-air prison over the last 15 years. The region is characterized by an air, sea, and land blockade that severely limits the movement of its residents.

While there have been recent negotiations at the highest levels that allowed very limited humanitarian supplies into Gaza, Lazzarini stressed that these efforts are insufficient for the magnitude of the humanitarian crisis.

He underscored the urgent need for essential supplies such as fuel, which has been denied to Gaza. Without fuel, he said, there can be no adequate humanitarian response, no aid reaching those in need, no power for hospitals, no clean water, and no bread for the population.

M.N