UNRWA headquarters in Jerusalem to stay closed after fireplace set by Israelis | EUROtoday

The headquarters of the UN Refugee Agency (UNRWA) in occupied Jerusalem stays closed this Friday after Israeli residents set fireplace yesterday twice at its perimeter when there have been staff of that and different United Nations organizations inside.

“In light of this second heinous incident in less than a week, I have made the decision to close our complex until adequate security is restored“, reported the overall commissioner of that company, Philippe Lazzarini, who described the occasion as “scandalous.”

Although there have been no casualties among the many employeesthe hearth triggered intensive injury to the outside areas and posed a severe danger to its employees, for the reason that UNRWA headquarters has a gasoline and diesel station on that land for its fleet of vehicles.

Lazzarini defined that the headquarters director and different staff they needed to put out the hearth themselvesfor the reason that Israeli fireplace extinguishers and the police took some time to seem.

“A crowd accompanied by armed men was seen outside the complex chanting 'Burn the United Nations'“, indicated Lazzarini in regards to the perpetrators of the assault, scenes which have additionally been unfold on social networks.

“This is a scandalous incident. Once again, the lives of UN personnel were at serious risk (…) In recent months he has regularly suffered harassment and intimidation and on several occasions, Israeli extremists threatened our staff with firearms,” ​​he added.

For the previous two months, Israeli extremists have been staging protests outdoors the UNRWA compound in Jerusalem, known as by an elected member of the Jerusalem municipality, which this week turned extra violent when protesters threw stones at UN employees and officers. complicated buildings.

Since the beginning of the warfare within the Gaza Strip, UNRWA has been within the crosshairs of Israel, which accused a dozen staff of the company of take part within the Hams assaults of October 7 and alleges that greater than 2 hundred of its employees have ties to Islamists; and he doesn’t conceal his intention to shut it.

These accusations triggered many donor nations to chop their funding to UNRWA, though most have resumed it within the absence of conclusive proof offered by Israel.

Lazzarini insisted that it’s the duty of the State of Israel, “as the occupying power”, to make sure that United Nations personnel and services are protected “in accordance with international law” and known as for the perpetrators of the assaults to be investigated and held accountable. accounts.