The head of the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) repeated urgent calls for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, warning against “new forced displacement” and an “anxiety of endless suffering” among Gazans.
“An Israeli military offensive will lead to an additional layer of an already unbearable tragedy for the people in #Gaza,” the commissioner-general of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, posted on X on Monday. “It will make even more difficult to reverse the expansion of the already man made famine.
“What is needed is a #ceasefireNow not new forced displacement + anxiety of endless suffering,” he added.
This came as negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of hostages once again stalled, and as Israel threatened an offensive in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians have gathered during Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.