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BREAKING
Da Silva: What is happening in Gaza is not a war, it is a genocide
Da Silva: Even the Jewish people do not want this war; it is revenge by a government against the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state
Brazilian President Lula da Silva: What we are seeing is not a war between two armies. [What we have is a] completely professional army that is killing women and children in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas: We affirm our readiness to immediately begin a round of indirect negotiations to reach an agreement on the points of contention
Hamas: We welcome the continued Qatari and Egyptian efforts to end the war waged by the Zionist occupation against our people
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Israeli occupation forces blew up Noura Al-Kaabi Hospital, designated for kidney dialysis patients, in the northern Gaza Strip
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Israeli drone targets a car on the Ayta al-Shaab-Debel road in southern Lebanon
Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesperson Yahya Saree: The remaining airlines that have not yet complied with the ban are urged to take this into serious consideration to ensure the safety of their aircraft and passengers
Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesperson Yahya Saree: The YAF, after successfully imposing a partial ban on air traffic at Lydd Airport, are now working to impose a full ban on air traffic at the aforementioned airport in the coming period
Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesperson Yahya Saree: YAF's UAV Unit carried out three military operations targeting three vital Israeli sites in the occupied Palestinian areas of Yafa, Isdud, and Umm al-Rashrash, using three drones

Gaza became 'graveyard for tens of thousands of people': Lazzarini

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 8 Oct 2024 14:40
3 Min Read

The Commissioner General of UNRWA has emphasized that a year of brutal warfare has turned the Gaza Strip into an "unrecognizable sea of rubble."

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  • A child walks through the destruction left by the Israeli aggression on Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, September 12, 2024. (AP)
    A child walks through the destruction left by the Israeli aggression on Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, on September 12, 2024. (AP)

On the occasion of one year of the war on Gaza, the Commissioner General of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, posted a lengthy statement on X, condemning the ongoing war on the Strip. 

"Twelve months of brutal war have transformed the Gaza Strip into an unrecognizable sea of rubble, and a graveyard for tens of thousands of people, among them far too many children," he said.

Lazzarini stressed that one year later, "not a day goes by without families in Gaza being subjected to unspeakable suffering, forced displacement, disease, hunger, and death," emphasizing that it has become a daily norm for the two million people being bombed in the besieged enclave.

"A year of profound loss, grief, and suffering. A year of dehumanization and disregard of international law; a free fall descent into barbarism. In Gaza, civilians continue to bear the brunt of the war."

Lazzarini touched on the record number of UNRWA members being killed, saying that as of now, more than 220 UNRWA team members have been killed, detailing that it is "the highest death toll in the history of the United Nations."

He added, "Children have been the first and most to suffer. Beyond the killing and injury, every child in Gaza is traumatized many with life-long invisible scars."

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Moreover, Lazzarini said, "More than 650,000 children are losing another year of learning. Instead of being in classrooms, they are sifting through the rubble in despair and fear. The destruction of essential infrastructure has reached catastrophic levels."

According to the statistics, he revealed that more than two-thirds of UNRWA buildings have been hit and deemed unusable, the vast majority while sheltering displaced people under the UN flag.

Concerning the West Bank, he stressed that civilians "continued to endure destruction, fear, and anxiety amid an escalation and increase in operations by the Israeli military and clashes with Palestinian armed groups."

Lazzarini warned that poverty is deepening as people lose income and as movement restrictions are reinforced, adding that "the expansion of the war into Lebanon is wreaking havoc on civilians, many forced to relive traumas of the past. It is time for courage: a deal that would finally bring a ceasefire and respite to people in Gaza, Lebanon, Israel, and the wider region."

"It is time to put the guns down after decades of killing and immense pain. It is time to release all hostages safely to their families, who are living through unbearable uncertainty."

As "Israel" continues to obstruct humanitarian aid to the Strip, he stressed that "it is time to bring a standard flow of basic humanitarian supplies including to the hungry and sick in Gaza. There are no winners in wars. The only way out is through a diplomatic and peaceful solution."

"It’s time to heal the wounds. It’s time to choose peace!"

Read more: From the eldest to the youngest: Gaza’s heartbreaking toll

  • UNRWA
  • United States
  • Gaza Strip
  • Palestine
  • Philippe Lazzarini
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