The number of people who have fled the city of Rafah in the past four days has increased to 110,000 as Israeli attacks intensify.
The headquarters of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) in occupied East Jerusalem will remain closed this Friday after Israeli residents set the perimeter on fire twice yesterday while staff from that and other United Nations organizations were inside.
That agency’s general commissioner, Philippe Lazzarini, who has described the event as “disgraceful”, has announced that the headquarters will remain closed “until sufficient safety has been restored”.
Over the past two months, Israeli extremists have staged protests outside the UNRWA compound in Jerusalem, which turned more violent this week as demonstrators threw stones at UN staff and buildings in the compound.
Since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip, UNRWA has been in the crosshairs of Israel, which accused a dozen of the agency’s employees of participating in the October 7 Hamas attacks. These accusations prompted many donor countries to cut funding to UNRWA, although most have resumed in the absence of conclusive evidence from Israel.
The number of people who have fled the city of Rafah, on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, in the past four days has risen to almost 110,000. “intensification” of bombing by the Israeli army against the city.
Source: EITB
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
