United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said on Tuesday that the agency is determined to remain in the Gaza Strip "until it is no longer possible to do so." Israel's ban on the agency, adopted in October, comes into effect on January 30.
Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting, Lazzarini warned that the ban will undermine the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and "sabotage" Gaza's recovery and political transition as tens of thousands of Palestinians return to the north of the enclave. He added that implementing the Israeli legislation banning UNRWA "makes a mockery of international law," accusing the Israeli government of committing "significant resources to portraying the UNRWA as a terrorist organization," including billboards in major cities around the world and Google ad campaigns.
