LONDON: The United Nations staff working in the occupied West Bank have been enduring a systematic campaign of harassment and obstruction by the Israeli military and authorities since October 7, said a UN report.
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the report complied the challenges faced by the agency, which functions in 96 schools and 43 health facilities serving 871,000 registered refugees in the area.
The report documented 135 incidents impacting its schools, clinics and offices, including misuse of facilities, military activities, deployment of tear gas and bullets into UN properties.
According to the document UNRWA staff have been verbally abused, subject to identity checks and searches.
There were also reported violations of the UN’s privileges and immunities, including forced entry into UNRWA facilities by Israeli Security Forces.
One report said that two UNRWA staff, traveling in a UN vehicle were stopped by soldiers at a temporary checkpoint in February.
The documents reveal how UNRWA’s West Bank health facilities ran out of important supplies after Israeli customs held up medicine delivery in Jordan.
The documents also said several Palestinians were killed in an incident after Israeli troops targeted UNRWA facilities during military operations in the West Bank.
The papers also cited a military raid on December 8 during which Israeli forces broke into an UNRWA health facility in the Al-Faraa refugee camp and removed the flag of the UN.
According to documents, Al-Arroub refugee camp, south of Bethlehem, has been facing severe restrictions by Israeli authorities since October 7.
Spokesperson for UNRWA, Juliette Touma, said that the incidents recorded were part of a wider harassment campaign against UNRWA in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
