On 1 October in the evening the Israel Defense Forces provided video footage to the international press purporting to show “a UN vehicle transporting a Qassam rocket”. Given the gravity of the allegation, I immediately ordered my staff to obtain a copy of the footage in question and initiated an investigation into the alleged facts. UNRWA states that Israel propagates falsehoods against UNRWA. UNRWA carried out a thorough investigation that leads to the conclusion that there is not a shred of evidence to suggest that the claims have any basis in fact. Read more about UN refugee agency demands apology from Israel
The latest large-scale military operations initiated by the Israeli Army have once again severely disrupted the operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The Agency has reminded the Government of Israel of its obligations under international law, including bilateral agreements it has entered into with UNRWA and calls on it once again to restore the freedom of movement of Agency staff and guarantee their safety at all times. The military operations undertaken by the Israeli Army have in effect tri-sected the Gaza Strip. Read more about UNRWA calls on Israel to lift restrictions and ensure safety of staff in the Gaza Strip
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has today protested to the Israeli Government following new and constantly changing restrictions affecting the freedom of movement of United Nations staff crossing into and out of the Gaza Strip. International staff members holding valid United Nations laissez-passers are now being obliged to cross on foot through the Palestinian labourers’ terminal. Only those holding a diplomatic visa can go through in their vehicles, and even they are prohibited from carrying other United Nations colleagues with them. Passage on foot leaves the staff members exposed to considerable risk. Read more about Israeli authorities impose more restrictions on UNRWA staff
To the rhythms of classical Arab and Palestinian music, UNRWA Commissioner-General Peter Hansen today inaugurated the Nimreen Children’s Music Centre, which for the first time will provide professional music tuition on classical Arabic instruments to 40 gifted students from UNRWA elementary schools in Yarmouk. The children will be selected from a pool of more than 8,000 pupils in the age range 7-9 years, grades 3-5. The Centre, housed in a classroom in UNRWA’s Nimreen school revamped for its new purposes, is a small but well-furnished music studio, with sound and recording equipment, air conditioning and sound insulation. In Syria, UNRWA provides assistance to some 417,400 refugees. Read more about UNRWA Opens Nimreen Children's Music Centre in Yarmouk
In the third such incident in 18 months, a child sitting in the classroom of a UN-flagged school has been struck in the head by gunfire from an Israeli position in the Gaza Strip. At 07:45 10-year old Raghda Adnan Al-Assar was struck in the head by Israeli fire while sitting at her desk in UNRWA’s Elementary C Girl’s School in Khan Younis camp. She is now in the European Gaza Hospital where she has undergone major surgery. On June 1 this year two ten-year old children in UNRWA’s Al-Umariye Elementary Boys’ School in Rafah were hit by a bullet and ricochets from a Israeli tank stationed on the sand dunes opposite the school. Read more about 10-year old girl hit in UNRWA classroom by Israeli gunfire
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has today protested to the Israeli Government at the ongoing closure of the Erez Crossing into the Gaza Strip. The closure, which began on Tuesday 31 August, seriously damages UNRWA’s ability to carry out its humanitarian mandate in the occupied Palestinian territory. In an unprecedented and serious development, the Israeli authorities have barred Peter Hansen, UNRWA’s Commissioner-General and an Under-Secretary General of the United Nations, from leaving Gaza to carry out his duties in the West Bank. It is unheard of for the executive head of a UN agency to have his freedom of movement flagrantly curtailed by a member state of the UN in this way. Read more about Israel bars UN refugee agency head from leaving Gaza
In the morning of 24 August, Israeli military forces broke into UNRWA’s girls’ school in Askar Refugee camp in the West Bank and proceeded to use the school as a detention and interrogation center for hundreds of male residents of the camp between the ages of 16 and 40. The Agency strongly protests this flagrant violation of the United Nations Privileges and Immunities. The occupation of Askar girl s’ school is not the first such abuse of UNRWA’s humanitarian installations in the West Bank or in the Gaza Strip. No less than 10 schools were occupied during Defensive Shield operation. In all these cases, UNRWA has also protested to the Israeli authorities, but without result. Read more about Israel uses UNRWA girls' school as detention center
For the second time in two weeks, the head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has decided to relocate international staff out of the strife-torn Gaza Strip because of Israeli incursions and general instability. “I have been closely monitoring the evolution of the security situation in the Gaza Strip which forced me on 21 July to relocate part of my Headquarters staff to Jerusalem,” Agency Commissioner-General Peter Hansen said in a statement. “Since then, Israeli military operations in Beit Hanoun have continued and been expanded and there have been announcements regarding the potential extension of Israeli military incursions into other parts of the Northern Gaza Strip.” Read more about Responding to continued insecurity, UN agency relocates more staff out of Gaza
Ramadin village is located at the southern tip of the West Bank very close to the Green Line. It is inhabited by 3,500 Bedouins, of whom 3,000 are registered refugees (330 families), mainly shepherds. UNRWA runs a school and a health clinic in the village; construction of a new UNRWA school is under way. According to official Israeli maps, after completion of the ‘Barrier’ this village will lie in the ‘seamzone’, between the Barrier and the Green Line. UNRWA reports on the West Bank barrier. Read more about Demolitions in Ramadin village, Hebron
After visiting UNRWA food distribution in Beit Hanoun, Peter Hansen, UNRWA’s Commissioner-General, and UNRWA’s operations personnel visited some of the demolished areas on the outskirts of the town in a five-vehicle convoy clearly marked with UN flags and symbols. Shortly after passing an Israeli armoured personnel carrier, the convoy stopped, 500m from the APC, to survey a citrus orchard that had been bulldozed by the Israeli military. At that point rapid firing appreared to come from the APC in the direction of the convoy. Hansen and the UNRWA personnel were forced to take cover in a nearby family home. Read more about Israeli forces open fire on UN Convoy
