The UN company for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, on Tuesday (April 29, 2025) mentioned greater than 50 of its employees in Gaza had been abused and used as human shields whereas in Israeli army detention.
“Since the start of the war in October 2023, over 50 UNRWA staff, among them teachers, doctors, social workers, have been detained and abused,” UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini wrote on X.
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“They have been treated in the most shocking & inhumane way. They reported being beaten + used as human shields.”
Mr. Lazzarini cited the testimony of one of many employees members who had been detained by the Israeli army earlier than being launched.
“I wished for death to end this nightmare I was living through,” the employees member was quoted as saying. “Received this awful testimony from a colleague who was rounded up in Gaza, tortured while in Israeli detention and finally released,” they added
Mr. Lazzarini mentioned these detained had been subjected to “sleep deprivation, humiliation, threats of harm to them & their families + attacks by dogs”.
“Many were subjected to forced confessions. This nothing short of harrowing & outrageous.”
The army had no speedy response to the accusation.
Israel has banned UNRWA from working on Israeli soil, after accusing a few of its employees of participating in Hamas’ October 7, 2023 assault that sparked the Gaza conflict.
Independent investigations say it has not supplied proof for its allegation.
The International Court of Justice is at the moment listening to dozens of countries and organisations to attract up a so-called advisory opinion on Israel’s humanitarian obligations to Palestinians, greater than 50 days into its complete blockage on aid getting into war-ravaged Gaza.
Israel isn’t taking part on the ICJ however hit again instantly, dismissing the hearings as “part of the systematic persecution and delegitimisation” of the nation.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Sunday mentioned the hearings had been “part of a systematic persecution and delegitimisation of Israel”.
“It is not Israel that should be on trial. It is the UN and UNRWA,” he mentioned.
Published – April 29, 2025 10:51 pm IST
