UNRWA Commissioner-General on Gaza: I urge all Member States to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza

From Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA Commissioner-General as posted on his official X account (previously known as Twitter)

It has been 18 months since the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel must take all measures within its power to prevent the commission of genocide, including acting in full co-operation with the United Nations, to ensure the unhindered provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance.

The UN Commission of Inquiry has concluded in its report yesterday that: "Far from cooperating with the United Nations […] Israel responded by proscribing and excluding the principal UN agency providing aid and humanitarian assistance, UNRWA".

In finding that the State of Israel has committed genocide, the Commission stated that through: "interconnected political and politicised measures", including the establishment of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), Israel has blocked and obstructed trusted aid agencies (including UNRWA) from bringing in essential and life-saving aid, for the purposes of bringing about "the physical destruction of the Palestinians in Gaza through unlivable conditions of life in the Gaza Strip".

I urge all Member States to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and facilitate the unfettered deployment of the United Nations' humanitarian operations - including UNRWA's expertise with its unparalleled aid distribution network - to reverse famine and provide critical assistance to people in need.