Lazzarini declares that “it is time to end the occupation” and adds that the settlers impose a “constant state of fear”
April 22 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The commissioner general of the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, has denounced that “the situation in the West Bank worsens every day, even in the Palestinian refugee camps”, after the Israeli Army has carried out an operation of more than two days in Nur Shams, in Tulkarem, leaving 14 dead and dozens of detainees.
“The recent operation by Israeli security forces in Nur Shams caused loss of life and serious damage to the homes and public services of the population. (…) It is time to end the occupation and address the unresolved conflict through political means and a genuine commitment to peace,” he said.
Likewise, the head of UNRWA has criticized that “the restrictions on movement and violence by Israeli settlers hinder people's access to jobs and livelihoods and impose a constant state of fear.”
Lazzarini has highlighted that “hundreds of people, including at least 112 children”, have died in the West Bank since October 7 at the hands of the Israeli Army and settlers, within the framework of a spike in violence since 2023, which is has increased after the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has estimated around 480 fatalities in this period of time.
This Sunday, the Israeli Army ended an operation in the Nur Shams refugee camp in which it killed 14 “gunmen” – civilians according to Palestinian groups – who were between the ages of 16 and 39. In addition, there are nine soldiers and one Israeli border police officer injured in the operation, in which between 15 and 50 Palestinians have been detained.
