Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), has delivered a grim assessment of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, equating the last 100 days to a hundred years of torment for the Palestinian people.
Marking 100 days since the aggression began, Lazzarini pointed out the unprecedented scale of displacement, the worst since the catastrophe of 1948. The Israeli bombardment has driven 1.4 million Palestinians into UNRWA shelters, where they are subjected to living conditions that are a stark violation of human dignity.
Highlighting the profound impact on the civilian population, Lazzarini stressed that the residents of Gaza, especially the children, are now indelibly scarred, both physically and mentally, by the relentless Israeli attacks. These scars, he warned, will haunt them for life.
The Gaza Strip, under the Israeli occupation siege, has experienced a harrowing period of mass death, widespread destruction, forced displacement, hunger, loss, and inconsolable grief. The Israeli occupation forces’ campaign, described by Lazzarini as a war of extermination, has resulted in a staggering toll: 23,843 killed and 60,317 injured, predominantly women and children, creating a humanitarian and health disaster.
Since the beginning of this brutal offensive, Israeli occupation forces have systematically targeted schools, hospitals, educational institutions, mosques, and both public and private properties, laying waste to the basic infrastructure of life in Gaza.
Lazzarini’s account is a damning indictment of the Israeli offensive, which he categorises as a flagrant breach of international humanitarian law and human rights. This relentless assault on civilian life and property, inflicting immense suffering, urgently calls for a forceful response from the international community to halt the aggression and safeguard the innocents in Gaza.”
