Philippe Lazzarini stressed that no place or person in Gaza has been safe since the start of the war in October 2023.
“As the year begins, we have received reports of a new attack on Al Mawasi, which left dozens dead and injured,” he said, calling it “another reminder that “There is no such thing as a humanitarian zone, and even less so a ‘security zone’.”
He warned that “each day without a ceasefire will bring more tragedies.”
A family sits outside a makeshift shelter in Gaza.
Media under attack
Furthermore, UNRWA recalled that the Israeli authorities continue to prevent international media from operating and doing their work in Gaza.
“Access for international journalists to do their work freely from Gaza must be granted,” the agency said.
For its part, the United Nations human rights office, OHCHR, said it was deeply concerned by the Palestinian Authority’s suspension of the activities of the Al Jazeera news channel in the occupied West Bank.
The Qatar-based channel was accused of broadcasting “inciting materials” that “were misleading and sowed discord,” according to international media reports citing the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.
This development comes amid a “worrying trend” of repression of freedom of opinion and expression in the occupied Palestinian territory, the OHCHR said, urging the Palestinian Authority “to change course and respect its obligations under international law.
WHO denounces slow medical evacuations
A patient is taken to Egypt from Gaza via the Rafah border crossing in 2023.
For his part, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Tedros, deplored on Thursday the slow pace of medical evacuations from Gaza.
Only 5,383 patients have been evacuated with WHO support since October 2023, including only 436 since the closure of the Rafah crossing point.
More than 12,000 people still need medical evacuation. At this rate, it would take 5 to 10 years to evacuate all these seriously ill patients, including thousands of children. “In the meantime, their condition is getting worse and some are dying,” denounced the head of the WHO.
He urged Israel to increase the approval rate for medical evacuations, including by not refusing minor patients; to speed up the approval process for medical evacuations; and to enable the use of all possible corridors and border crossings for safe medical evacuations.
He also called on all countries to help by welcoming patients and providing specialized health care to prevent more suffering and deaths.
Blatant disregard for the right to health
For their part, two independent United Nations experts called, in a joint statement released Thursday, for an end to the blatant disregard for the right to health in Gaza, following last week’s raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital and the arbitrary arrest and detention of its director, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya.
“We are horrified and concerned by the reports coming from northern Gaza and in particular by the attack against health professionals, in particular the last of the 22 hospitals now destroyed: the Kamal Adwan hospital,” said the Rapporteur. Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, Tlaleng Mofokeng, and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Francesca Albanese.
“We are very concerned about the fate of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, another doctor harassed, kidnapped and arbitrarily detained by the occupying forces, for defying evacuation orders and leaving his patients and colleagues behind,” they said. -they added.
More than 1,057 Palestinian health and medical professionals have been killed so far and many have been arbitrarily arrested.
The two UN experts stressed that medical personnel are civilians performing an essential function at the most critical moment and therefore benefit from special protections under international humanitarian law. They are not legitimate targets for attacks, nor can they be legitimately detained for practicing their profession.
“We urge Israel to end its current assault on Gaza and cease its attacks on health facilities. They must also ensure the immediate release of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya and all other health professionals arbitrarily detained,” they said.
