Philippe Lazzarini

UNRWA chief says Gaza is world’s most dangerous place for journalists and aid workers

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UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini gives a speech in Ankara, Turkiye, on January 8, 2026. [Fatih Kurt – Anadolu Agency]

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said on Sunday that the Gaza Strip has become the world’s most dangerous place for journalists and humanitarian workers, warning that continued restrictions and attacks are undermining efforts to document events and deliver aid.

In a press statement, Lazzarini said more than 230 journalists have been killed in Gaza, stressing the need to ensure freedom of access for the media and to protect journalists in line with international humanitarian law.

He argued that preventing international journalists from entering the Gaza Strip contributes to the spread of misinformation and extremist narratives, and weakens the ability of the international community to understand the scale of the humanitarian crisis on the ground.

Lazzarini also said that ongoing attacks on journalists and humanitarian personnel represent a serious violation of international law, calling for urgent measures to provide them with protection and to allow media organisations to operate freely and without restrictions.

Separately, Gaza’s government media office said last Wednesday that the number of journalists killed since the start of the Israeli war has risen to 260, following the killing of three journalists linked to an Egyptian committee.

READ: 3 journalists among 11 Gazans killed in Israeli attacks amid ceasefire violations

Experiencing issues with this image not appearing. I suspect because it's so critical of Zionist Keir Starmer's support of and complicity in Israel's genocides.
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpA
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.

Continue ReadingUNRWA chief says Gaza is world’s most dangerous place for journalists and aid workers

West Bank facing worst humanitarian crisis since 1967 amid Israeli operations in refugee camps: UN refugee agency

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Israeli military forces launch a raid as reinforcement units patrol streets and establish checkpoints throughout the area in Nablus, West Bank on January 22, 2026. [Nedal Eshtayah – Anadolu Agency]

The occupied West Bank is experiencing its most severe humanitarian crisis since 1967, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) warned Friday, citing large-scale displacement and extensive destruction in refugee camps amid Israeli military operations, Anadolu reports.

In a statement on the US social media company X, Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, said 33,000 people remain forcibly displaced from northern refugee camps one year after the launch of Israel’s “Iron Wall” operation.

“Israeli forces have been demolishing swathes of the camps, reducing the chances for these communities to recover,” he added.

Lazzarini said UNRWA teams “are assisting newly displaced Palestine refugees who have been pushed deeper into poverty and have no viable alternatives for healthcare, education and welfare.”

He stressed that the agency’s ability to continue operations depends on “continued political & financial support from member states.”

Since beginning its genocide in the Gaza Strip in October 2023, Israel has intensified its crimes to annex the West Bank, particularly through demolition, displacement of Palestinians and expansion of settlements, according to Palestinian authorities.

Israeli forces and illegal settlers have since killed at least 1,108 Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and injured nearly 11,000, while it has detained 21,000.

READ: UN rapporteur says Israeli demolition of UNRWA compound reflects broader attack on UN system

Separately, illegal Israeli settlers vandalized a mosque Friday in the northern West Bank, the latest in a string of attacks on places of worship and Palestinian property.

The official Palestinian news agency, Wafa, cited local land defense coordinator Thaer Hanani, who said illegal settlers stormed the Beit al-Sheikh Mosque in the Khirbet Tana area, east of Nablus, smashing its contents and forcing worshippers to hold Friday prayers outdoors.

Hanani said illegal settlers also destroyed orchard fencing to allow cattle to graze, damaging Palestinian olive trees. He described the attack as part of repeated assaults on the mosque and worshippers to prevent residents from accessing Khirbet Tana after its population was forcibly expelled early last year.

According to Israel’s Peace Now, more than 500,000 illegal settlers live in the West Bank, in addition to over 250,000 in settlements built on occupied East Jerusalem land.

The UN considers Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory illegal under international law and said they undermine the viability of a two-state solution.

Palestinian officials have repeatedly urged the international community to pressure Israel to halt settlement activity.

READ: Palestinian shot dead by Israeli forces in West Bank

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Experiencing issues with this image not appearing. I suspect because it's so critical of Zionist Keir Starmer's support of and complicity in Israel's genocides.
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpA
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Continue ReadingWest Bank facing worst humanitarian crisis since 1967 amid Israeli operations in refugee camps: UN refugee agency

Israeli official urges assassination and expulsion of UNRWA employees from Jerusalem

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Israeli army carries out a raid, and replaces the UN flag with the Israeli flag at the UNRWA center in east Jerusalem on December 08, 2025. [Mostafa Alkharouf – Anadolu Agency]

Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Aryeh King has sparked widespread condemnation after calling for the killing and expulsion of all staff of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), following the demolition of the agency’s headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem.

In a video published on his Facebook page from the demolition site, King described UNRWA as an “enemy” and declared that its removal from Jerusalem marked a victory. He said that the agency’s staff should be expelled from what he termed the “Land of Israel,” adding that there was “no choice” between them and Israel. King went further by explicitly calling for the destruction and elimination of all UNRWA personnel.

The remarks drew strong condemnation from UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, who warned that such statements represent a grave moral and legal breach. Lazzarini said the calls to assassinate UN staff signal a dangerous escalation, describing them as evidence of a “loss of moral compass” and the emergence of “a new era of barbarity.”

He added that Israeli officials had already competed to take credit for storming and vandalising UN facilities in occupied East Jerusalem, and that calls to exterminate an entire community of UNRWA staff marked a further, deeply alarming step. Lazzarini stressed that UN member states, bound by the UN Charter, cannot tolerate such incitement from officials of a member state, and called for the issue to be raised and addressed at the highest international levels.

The incident comes amid growing international concern over Israeli measures targeting UNRWA operations in Jerusalem and the wider occupied Palestinian territory, following recent Israeli legislation aimed at curbing the agency’s work.

READ: UNRWA says demolition of UN buildings in Sheikh Jarrah marks peak of Israeli attacks

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Experiencing issues with this image not appearing. I suspect because it's so critical of Zionist Keir Starmer's support of and complicity in Israel's genocides.
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpA
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Continue ReadingIsraeli official urges assassination and expulsion of UNRWA employees from Jerusalem

Disease risks in Gaza at record highs amid vaccine shortages: UNRWA

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Displaced Palestinian families living in the Beit Lahia area in the northern Gaza Strip try to carry on with their daily lives under harsh conditions amid the rubble left behind by Israeli attacks on January 19, 2026. [Abdalhkem Abu Riash – Anadolu Agency]

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) warned Monday that disease risks in the Gaza Strip have reached record levels, as children continue to miss essential vaccinations amid more than two years of war, harsh winter conditions and the collapse of the health system, Anadolu reports.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said children in Gaza have repeatedly been deprived of routine immunizations needed to protect them from preventable diseases since the start of the conflict.

“Amid more than two years of war in Gaza, children have repeatedly missed out on the vaccines they need to stay safe,” Lazzarini said in a statement.

He said severe winter weather, including cold temperatures, heavy rainfall and flooding, is further compounding health risks in the enclave.

READ: Gaza government says ready to transfer powers to technocratic committee to run enclave

“These conditions come on top of already record-high disease risks caused by poor water and sanitation services, overcrowded shelters and the collapse of the medical system,” he added.

Lazzarini said UNRWA teams, in coordination with UNICEF, the World Health Organization and local partners, began the second round of a catch-up vaccination campaign on Sunday targeting children under the age of three.

“Vaccination in such conditions matters more than ever,” he said, stressing that UNRWA continues to work to save lives in Gaza.

The Israeli army has killed more than 71,000 people, most of them women and children, and injured over 171,000 others in a brutal offensive since October 2023 that left the Gaza Strip in ruins.

Despite a ceasefire that began on Oct. 10, the Israeli army has continued its attacks, killing 465 Palestinians and wounding 1,287 others, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

READ: Gaza hospitals struggle to maintain medical services amid restricted access

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Experiencing issues with this image not appearing. I suspect because it's so critical of Zionist Keir Starmer's support of and complicity in Israel's genocides.
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpA
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.

Continue ReadingDisease risks in Gaza at record highs amid vaccine shortages: UNRWA

Lazzarini calls Knesset vote against UNRWA ‘outrageous’ and a challenge to ICJ rulings

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The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini holds a press conference at the UN headquarters on September 25, 2025, in New York City, USA.[Selçuk Acar – Anadolu Agency]

The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, has condemned an Israeli Knesset (Parliament) vote targeting the agency, describing it as “outrageous”.

In a statement published on the X platform on Tuesday, Lazzarini said the legislation constitutes a blatant violation of the mandate granted to United Nations Relief and Works Agency by the UN General Assembly and represents a direct challenge to rulings issued by the International Court of Justice.

He said the legislation grants the Israeli government authority to confiscate UN property in occupied East Jerusalem, including UNRWA’s headquarters and its vocational training centre.

Lazzarini added that the bill explicitly excludes the agency from the immunities and privileges normally afforded to UN bodies, a move he said is intended to end UNRWA’s presence in occupied Jerusalem and sever all contact with its officials.

The UNRWA chief described the legislation as a serious blow to the multilateral system and part of a systematic campaign to discredit the agency and obstruct its role in delivering essential humanitarian assistance and development services to Palestinian refugees.

He stressed that Israel is obligated to act within the framework of the United Nations and its Charter, adding that any objections raised by Israel should be addressed through the appropriate UN deliberative bodies, rather than through unilateral legislative measures.

READ: Israeli Knesset passes bill halting electricity, water supply to UNRWA facilities

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Vote Labour for Genocide.
Vote Labour for Genocide.

Continue ReadingLazzarini calls Knesset vote against UNRWA ‘outrageous’ and a challenge to ICJ rulings