UNRWA
UNRWAWisam Hashlamoun/FLASH90

Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said that Israel's ban on the organization's activities endangers the prospects for future peace in the region.

At a UN Security Council meeting, Lazzarini said that "the relentless attack on UNRWA is harming the lives and future of Palestinians throughout the occupied Palestinian territory, eroding their trust in the international community and jeopardizing any chance for peace and security."

Lazzarini's remarks come after Israel ordered the organization to evacuate its offices in East Jerusalem by this coming Thursday. Last October, the Knesset passed a law prohibiting UNRWA's activities in Israel and prohibiting Israeli authorities and public figures from being in contact with the organization.

The law was passed after Israel presented UNRWA with evidence that several of the organization's employees were involved in the October 7th massacre.

In addition, WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said that the organization estimates that the number of fatalities in Gaza is higher than the official number given by the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Ministry of Health.

"The death toll from the conflict in Gaza provided by the Palestinian Ministry of Health is apparently an underestimate. Let us not forget that the official death toll provided by the Ministry of Health includes deaths counted in morgues and hospitals, in official facilities. When people return to their homes, when they start looking for their loved ones under the rubble, that casualty figure is expected to increase," Lindmeier said.