Cairo: Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, revealed on Monday that he was barred from entering the Gaza Strip by Israeli authorities.
Lazzarini expressed his intentions to visit Rafah but was informed that his entry had been declined during a joint press conference with Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Cairo.
In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, Lazzarini attributed his denied entry to "Israeli authorities," though Israel has not yet responded to these claims.
The UN agency, responsible for coordinating aid to Gaza, has faced turmoil since Israel implicated about a dozen of its 13,000 Gaza employees in a militant attack on Israel on October 7. This accusation prompted several donor nations, including the United States, to suspend funding, although some, such as Spain, Canada, and Australia, have since resumed or increased their support.
Israeli government spokesman Avi Hyman reiterated Israel's stance earlier on Monday, asserting that "UNRWA is a front for Hamas." However, Egypt's Foreign Minister Shoukry voiced full backing for the agency and criticized unilateral actions to curb UNRWA funding based on unfounded allegations.
The militant attack on October 7 resulted in approximately 1,160 deaths, mostly civilians, according to official Israeli figures.
In response, Israel launched a retaliatory campaign in Hamas-controlled Gaza, resulting in the deaths of at least 31,726 individuals, predominantly women and children, according to the Gaza health ministry.
UNRWA's latest figures indicate that 168 of its employees have been among the casualties. Lazzarini emphasized the significant toll the conflict has taken on the UN's operations in Gaza, with over 150 facilities destroyed and staff subjected to arrest and mistreatment.
The dire humanitarian situation in Gaza has worsened over the past five months, with the UN warning of an imminent famine. Lazzarini condemned the situation as "man-made starvation," highlighting the Gaza health ministry's report of at least 27 deaths from malnutrition and dehydration, predominantly children. The UN estimates that half of Gaza's 2.4 million population is experiencing "catastrophic hunger and starvation."
Efforts to address the humanitarian crisis have intensified in recent weeks, including airdrops and initiatives for a maritime humanitarian corridor from Cyprus. However, the UN and other aid agencies caution that these measures are insufficient to meet the urgent needs in Gaza.