Published 03/09/2025 16:12 | Edited 03/09/2025 16:59
The United Nations Commissioner General for Palestinian Refugees (Unrwa), Philippe Lazzarini, said the situation in Gaza threatens to permanently erode international humanitarian law, making irrelevant treated as Geneva Conventions.
In an interview with the Spanish newspaper The countryduring the summer course Where are you going to Europe 13at Menéndez Pelayo International University, he stated that Palestinian territory “is becoming the cemetery of international humanitarian law.”
The leader recalled that Unrwa has been warning for months for hunger signs in the track, but that the warnings “have fallen into deaf ears.” He reported that at the agency’s health centers the number of children with acute malnutrition increased six times in six months in the city of Gaza.
Hunger, he stressed, does not result from natural or accidental factors, but is “provoked by man.” The agency fears that the food crisis will spread throughout the territory.
Lazzarini also denounced the death of more than 1,500 people in incidents near humanitarian aid distribution centers, managed under strong Israeli military presence.
Obsaded Bank and prevailing impunity
The UNRWA head criticized the “shocking inaction of the international community” in the face of the climb in Gaza, noting that at the same time, the West Bank crosses unpublished levels of violence and forced displacement – facts that would be prominent if they were not eclipsed by catastrophe in Gaza.
He also recalled that in January 2024, the International Court of Justice determined an immediate increase in humanitarian assistance to the enclave. “Everything was blatantly ignored,” he said.
Lazzarini again denounced the impacts of Israel’s misinformation campaigns against the agency. In January 2024, Tel Aviv accused UNRWA employees with Hamas. In just 48 hours, 16 countries suspended financial contributions.
“It is clear that the agency’s dismantling is a war goal,” he said, accusing Israeli leaders of wanting to eliminate Unrwa to deny Palestinians the status of refugees and weaken the solution of two states.
Despite the suspension of resources, countries such as Spain, Luxembourg and Portugal have expanded their donations, although insufficient to compensate for losses.
Future inrtoise of Gaza
For Lazzarini, the central question is whether Gaza will continue to be the land of the Palestinians in the future. He argued that this is the only scenario compatible with the two -state solution, internationally recognized.
“Impunity prevails and there is a growing feeling in the region that international humanitarian law is not universal,” he said. “What is being accepted today in Gaza cannot be isolated. This will become the norm in all future conflicts.”
Source: vermelho.org.br
