Middle East Monitor / September 10, 2024
The Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, has revealed that the Israeli occupation army stopped a UN convoy on its way to northern Gaza for more than eight hours on Monday despite prior detailed coordination, the Palestinian Information Centre has reported.
Lazzarini added that the convoy had both national and international staff travelling to roll out the polio vaccination campaign for children in Gaza City and northern Gaza. He confirmed that the convoy was stopped at gunpoint just after the Wadi Gaza checkpoint, with threats to detain UN staff. Israeli occupation army bulldozers caused heavy damage to the UN’s armoured vehicles.
The UN official pointed out that all the staff and the convoy were eventually released and returned safely to the UN base, saying, “We are not able to confirm whether the polio campaign will take place today [Tuesday] in northern Gaza.”
This serious incident is the latest in a series of violations against UN personnel, including shots fired at convoys and the arrest of UN personnel by Israeli forces at checkpoints, despite prior notification, said Lazzarini. “UN staff must be allowed to undertake their duties safely and to be protected at all times in accordance with international humanitarian law,” he added. “Gaza is no different.”
