“Civilians, women, children, detainees, schools, hospitals, homes, humanitarian workers, etc. must be protected,” wrote Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
The official pointed out that 75 years ago, the Geneva Conventions were issued to protect civilians in times of war.
He stressed that these are global rules aimed at reducing the devastating impact of conflicts on humanity.
However, he stressed that over the past ten months, these standards have been grossly violated in Gaza by the Israeli military and Palestinian armed groups, including Hamas.
He warned that what is most worrying is that the countries that signed the Geneva Conventions are not fulfilling their responsibilities to respect these conventions and ensure that the parties to the conflict adhere to them.
“Our shared values enshrined in the agreements are at risk, as is our common humanity,” Lazzarini warned.
He pointed out that the time has come to restore those values and renew commitment to the agreements that represent the compass of international humanitarian law.
Most recently, the Commissioner denounced the killing of more than 200 UNRWA workers in Israeli attacks on Gaza since the start of the war in October last year.
“They were teachers, doctors, nurses, social workers, engineers, support staff, logisticians, and communications technicians,” Lazzarini criticized.
“We have reached a tragic and devastating stage that I wish we would never get past,” the official said at the time.
“Most of our colleagues were killed with their families at home or in a place they thought was safe. Many were killed in the line of duty while providing humanitarian assistance to communities in need,” he stressed.
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