GAZA: The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said on Thursday that more than 61 million tons of debris now cover the Gaza Strip as a result of over two years of Israeli bombardment and ground offensives.
“Entire neighborhoods have been erased, and families search the ruins for water, for shelter,” the UNRWA said in a post on social media platform X.
The agency stressed that its humanitarian mission and lifesaving assistance for Palestinians continue despite the ongoing Israeli blockade and restrictions on its aid supplies.
According to UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, the agency currently holds sufficient stocks of medicine, essential goods, and food supplies to sustain Gaza’s entire population for the next three months.
According to Anadolu, in October 2024, Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, voted to block UNRWA operations in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, alleging that some of its employees were involved in attacks carried out by the Palestinian group Hamas on October 7, 2023.
ICJ Rejects Israel’s Claims Against UNRWA
On Wednesday, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) rejected Israel’s accusations, ruling that “Israel has not substantiated its allegations that a significant part of UNRWA employees are members of Hamas” or were involved in the October 2023 attacks.
The ICJ further ruled that Israel is obliged under the Geneva Convention to permit and facilitate humanitarian relief efforts by third states and impartial organizations, including the UNRWA and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to ensure that adequate aid reaches Gaza.
Mass Destruction and Human Toll
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, Israel’s war on the enclave—described by many international observers as genocidal—has killed over 68,000 people and injured more than 170,000 since October 2023.
A ceasefire agreement took effect on October 10 this year under a phased plan brokered by US President Donald Trump, intended to end more than two years of war and facilitate large-scale humanitarian relief in the Gaza Strip.
