GENEVA: The Chief of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, on Tuesday asked countries to support an independent probe into alleged killings and detentions of its staff by Israel, once the war in Gaza ends.
UNRWA has blamed Israel for targeting its facilities during the conflict in the Gaza Strip and said 182 of its staff in the Palestinian enclave had been killed and more than 160 of its shelters targeted, causing the deaths of hundreds of people fleeing Israeli bombardment.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini told reporters in Geneva that he wanted the countries to support an independent inquiry to look into this blatant disregard of the United Nations.
Israel’s diplomatic mission in Geneva accused UNRWA of complicity with Hamas, saying the group was embedded within the infrastructure of the UN agency.
Lazzarini said Israel last month Israel blocked him from entering Gaza, and that he plans to visit the area again on Sunday.
He expressed hope that Israel would let him in. UNRWA is the largest humanitarian assistance provider in Gaza where its 13,000 staff run social services and schools for the refugees.
Israel blames 19 of its staff members for taking part in the October 7 Hamas attacks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also demanded shut down of UNRWA.
Israel has yet to provide evidence for its allegations that a significant number of UNRWA staff were members of Hamas. Lazzarini said that a handful of countries had now unblocked funds for the UN aid agency they had stopped after the Israeli allegations.
He noted that the US, Britain, Austria, and his native Switzerland are still withholding funds.
