UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini on Thursday accused the IDF of bulldozing an UNRWA facility in the Nur Shams Camp, near Tulkarm, causing it severe damage.
“The office can no longer be used. It was the hub to deliver basic services to more than 14,000 Palestine Refugees in the camp, including learning for children, health, sanitation and social protection,” Lazzarini wrote in a post on social media site X.
“During the Israeli military operation, roads, water and electricity networks were also destroyed in the camp,” he charged, adding, “Once again, United Nations facilities are being routinely disregarded while they must be protected at all times, including in times of conflict.”
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit responded to Lazzarini and made clear that “the claim that the UNRWA offices in Nur Shams were destroyed by IDF soldiers is false.”
“Terrorists planted explosives in the proximity of the UNRWA offices that were then detonated in an attempt to harm IDF soldiers. The explosives likely caused damage to the structure,” explained the IDF.
“The IDF conducts counterterrorism operations in the area and encounters terrorists making use of civilian infrastructure for terrorist purposes,” it added.
The back-and-forth comes amid already tense relations between Israel and UNRWA, which has long been criticized for cooperating with Hamas, and has come under increased scrutiny as its workers have been found to have been directly involved in Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
Israel revealed in January of this year that UNRWA staff participated in the October 7 Hamas attacks. It then presented a dossier showing that the UNRWA workers who participated in the Hamas massacre kidnapped a woman, handed out ammunition and actively took part in the massacre at Kibbutz Be’eri, where 97 people were murdered.
Lazzarini has resisted Israel’s calls for him to step down, has insisted he had no knowledge of how deep Hamas is involved in UNRWA, and has instead continued to level accusations at Israel.
Earlier this week, he lashed out at Israel after the Knesset approved legislation barring UNRWA from operating in Israel.
In a post on X, Lazzarini said the vote in the Knesset “is unprecedented and sets a dangerous precedent. It opposes the UN Charter and violates the State of Israel’s obligations under international law.”
“This is the latest in the ongoing campaign to discredit UNRWA and delegitimize its role towards providing human-development assistance and services to Palestine Refugees,” he charged.
"These bills will only deepen the suffering of Palestinians, especially in Gaza where people have been going through more than a year of sheer hell. It will deprive over 650,000 girls and boys there from education, putting at risk an entire generation of children. These bills increase the suffering of the Palestinians and are nothing less than collective punishment,” claimed Lazzarini.