Israel stops head of UN agency for Palestinian refugees from entering Gaza

According to Reuters, Egypt and the UN agency says that Israel had denied admission to the head of UNRWA, the Palestinian refugee agency, yesterday, calling this an unusual measure during a time of great need.  

Philippe Lazzarini claimed he intended to travel to the Gaza city of Rafah but was told "my entry into Rafah is declined." His organization has been in disarray since Israel accused 12 of its employees of participating in Hamas' October 7 invasion of Israel.  

"You were declined by the Israeli government, refused the entry which is an unprecedented move for [a] representative at this high position," Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said to Lazzarini.  

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office and Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

UNRWA is by far the largest relief body in Gaza, where the depth of the humanitarian crisis was underlined yesterday when a UN backed report warned of imminent famine in the north. 

“On the day new data is out on famine in #GAZA, the Israeli Authorities deny my entry to Gaza,” Lazzarini wrote on X, adding that his visit was intended to improve humanitarian operations. 

Regarding Tel Aviv's decision to bar UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini from entering Gaza, Francesca Albanese, the Special Rapporteur of the UN on the occupied Palestinian territory, remarked, "Israel wants no witnesses, no truth-tellers."  

"The biggest number of people ever recorded as facing human-made famine, along with mass killings, continuous damage & creation of conditions that gut life of humanity has a name: Genocide," Albanese said on her X account. 

UNRWA was created in 1949 by a resolution passed by the UN General Assembly. Its mission is to support and shield refugees in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon until a fair resolution to their situation is found.