GAZA – On Tuesday,
UNRWA accused
Israel oftorturing several of its employees who were arrested in the Gaza Strip,
Al-Mamlaka TV reported.
اضافة اعلان
In a statement, the agency revealed that
its staff members have endured horrifying events during their detention and
interrogation by Israeli authorities. These reports include
torture, severe
mistreatment, assault, and sexual exploitation.
According to UNRWA, some of its employees
were forced to provide confessions under torture and mistreatment while being
questioned about the events of October 7.
“These coerced confessions, resulting from
torture, are being used by Israeli authorities to spread misleading information
about the agency as part of their attempts to dismantle UNRWA. This situation
puts our staff in Gaza at risk, with serious implications for our operations in
the region,” UNRWA emphasized.
The agency has lodged a written protest
with Israel regarding the detention of its employees, but it has not received
any response.
Additionally, CNN obtained an unpublished
report prepared by UNRWA, which highlights
physical and psychologicalviolations committed by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) against
Palestinians detained in Gaza during the war. The report is primarily based on
the testimonies of former Gazan detainees who were held in Israeli prisons and
military sites and were subsequently released and returned to Gaza.
Israel’s deflection
In response, a spokesperson for the
IOFstated that UNRWA in Gaza had employed over 450 Hamas members and other armedgroups. Israel claims it has shared this intelligence information with
international partners, including the UN.
UNRWA, on the other hand, welcomes any
information that can be included in the ongoing independent investigation
conducted by the UN.
Juliette Touma, the agency’s Director of Communications,
encourages any entity with information regarding the serious allegations
against its staff to share it with the ongoing UN investigation.
UNRWA employs 13,000 people in Gaza and
assists over half of the territory’s population daily, which amounts to
approximately 2.3 million people. The recent suspension of funding by the US
and other countries has intensified pressure on the agency, which was already
facing significant challenges during the ongoing war spanning approximately
five months.
Sacrificing an entire generation
In a speech to the UN General Assembly,
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe
Lazzarini stated that there is no safe
place for Gaza residents. Despite the atrocities they have already endured, it
appears that the worst is yet to come.
In the same vein, Lazzarini warned the
General Assembly that dismantling UNRWA, as demanded by Israel, would result in
“sacrificing an entire generation of children” and “planting the seeds” for
future wars and conflicts. He emphasized that dismantling the agency would be
reckless, as it could jeopardize global peace and security.
Lazzarini further stated that believing the
agency’s dissolution could occur without threatening global peace and security
would be naive. His warning comes amidst the unprecedented humanitarian needs
in Gaza, and he previously alerted the General Assembly about UNRWA reaching a
breaking point due to Israel’s repeated calls for its dismantling and the
freezing of donor funding.
Lazzarini also warned that an imminent
attack on Rafah, where approximately 1.4 million displaced people are
concentrated, poses a significant threat. He emphasized that the agency is
ill-equipped to absorb financial shocks, especially given the escalating war in
Gaza.
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