The UN Palestinian relief organization UNRWA said on Friday that if its humanitarian operations in Gaza is forced to halt, it will put a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas at risk.
The agreement has interrupted a 15 month-old war between Israel and Hamas that has destroyed the Gaza Strip, killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and destabilized the Middle East.
The agreement has facilitated the release of Palestinian inmates from Israeli prisons and Israeli captives in Gaza, as well as a spike in humanitarian aid.
Juliette Touma, UNRWA’s director of communications, warned a Geneva news briefing that “the fate of this very fragile ceasefire is going to be at risk and is going to be in jeopardy if UNRWA is not allowed to continue bringing and distributing supplies”.
Despite an Israeli prohibition that was supposed to go into effect on January 30, its activity in Gaza and elsewhere is still ongoing for the time being, she said.
However, she said that its Palestinian staff located in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are facing difficulties, citing examples of stone-throwing and hold-ups at checkpoints.
“As a strong disinformation campaign against UNRWA persists, they face an exceptionally hostile environment”, she stated.
