UN Refuses to Assist in Israel's Forced Relocation of Palestinians

27 April

The United Nations (UN) has explicitly stated that it has no intention to assist Israel in forcibly relocating Palestinians, particularly in the context of an Israeli offensive on the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. Juliette Touma, Director of Public Relations at the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), made this clear, stating, "The UN is not going to take part in [Israel's] forced displacement of the Palestinian population in Rafah and the [rest of] the Gaza Strip," as quoted by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

 

Touma further clarified that UNRWA has no plans for an announced Israeli offensive on Rafah, where Palestinian refugees constitute the majority of the population. However, an unnamed employee of the agency indicated that UNRWA plans to evacuate its base in Deir al-Balah if the Israeli military decides to storm the locality.

 

The UN has previously expressed concerns that an Israeli operation in Rafah would exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Israeli authorities have insisted on the necessity of storming the city to eliminate the Hamas group, while plans have been made to move the civilian population to "humanitarian enclaves" in Khan Younis, located in the south of the Gaza Strip, according to the WSJ.

 

 

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Based on materials from TASS