RAFAH, Gaza Strip. The head of the main U.N. aid agency in the war-battered Gaza Strip, Philippe Lazzarini, issued a stark warning late Saturday, stating that its operations are collapsing following funding cuts from nine countries. The cuts were prompted by allegations that several agency employees participated in the deadly Hamas attack against Israel four months ago.
Lazzarini expressed shock at the decisions, particularly as he emphasized the looming famine amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. In a statement on X, he said, “Palestinians in Gaza did not need this additional collective punishment. This stains all of us.”
The warning followed Lazzarini’s announcement of the firing and investigation of several agency employees over their alleged involvement in the October 7 attack on Israel that triggered the conflict. The United States, claiming 12 agency employees under investigation, promptly suspended funding, a move echoed by other countries, including Britain, Italy, and Finland.
The U.N. agency, with 13,000 employees in Gaza, primarily Palestinians, plays a crucial role in providing aid to Gaza’s population amid the humanitarian disaster. Lazzarini cautioned that this lifeline could “collapse any time now,” affecting over 2 million people, or the majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, who depend on it for sheer survival, including food and shelter.
The Israel-Hamas war has taken a heavy toll, with more than 26,000 Palestinians reported killed, vast destruction in Gaza, and almost 85% of the population displaced. The Hamas attack in southern Israel resulted in about 1,200 deaths, mostly civilians, with approximately 250 hostages taken.
In response to the International Court of Justice ruling to limit death and destruction in the military’s Gaza offensive, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted Israel’s right to act according to its security needs. The court’s binding ruling stopped short of ordering a cease-fire but criticized Israel’s conduct in the nearly four-month war against Gaza’s Hamas rulers.
The conflict’s toll continues to rise, with at least 174 Palestinians reported killed in the past day, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Israel maintains that Hamas embeds itself in the local population, holding the group responsible for civilian casualties.
As the military faces scrutiny following the court’s ruling, displaced Palestinians seek refuge in overcrowded areas like Rafah. Frustration mounts, with uncertainty growing among Gazans, and calls for ending Hamas rise among the crowds.
The U.N. court ordered Israel to urgently provide aid to Gaza, where access remains below pre-war levels. The World Health Organization and MSF issued warnings about Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, citing shortages of supplies and intense fighting nearby.
The U.S., Israel’s closest ally, has called for restraint and increased humanitarian aid to Gaza while supporting the offensive. Efforts for mediation continue, aiming to secure the release of hostages in Gaza, with the U.S. CIA director set to meet key figures in Europe.
Hamas insists on a resolution involving an end to the war and the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel in exchange for releasing the remaining hostages. Netanyahu, critical of Qatar, called for action and criticized the government’s failure to bring all hostages home. Meanwhile, citizens gathered in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, calling for new elections, coinciding with International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
The situation remains complex, with the UN agency’s operations hanging in the balance and the conflict’s toll escalating amid international efforts to find a resolution.
With inputs from agencies.
