Another six employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) have been killed by Israel in the besieged Gaza Strip, bringing the total killed to 142.
“In this somber moment, it’s hard to wish those celebrating ‘Merry Christmas, with ongoing loss, grief and destruction,” the UN agency said on X.
“We mourn the loss of more UNRWA colleagues killed in Gaza, now 142, the majority with their families,” it added.
UNRWA said it mourns the latest deaths “alongside over 20,000 civilians killed” since the current onslaught on Gaza began.
The UN agency also said “293 Palestinians, including 76 children, have been killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem,” during the same period.
In this somber moment, it's hard to wish those celebrating “Merry Christmas”, with ongoing loss, grief & destruction
Our teams are doing the impossible to help people in need. We mourn the loss of more @UNRWA colleagues killed in #Gaza, now 142, the majority with their families pic.twitter.com/MC2WMBk2jM
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) December 24, 2023
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini told the Global Refugee Forum on December 13 that the people of Gaza “are running out of time and options, as they face bombardment, deprivation, and disease in an ever-ever-shrinking space.”
“Every time I go back (to Gaza), I always think it cannot get worse, but every time I see more misery, more grief, more sadness, and have the feeling that Gaza is not really a habitable place anymore,” the UN official told reporters.
‘Gaza is a Graveyard’
“From the early days of the war, UN officials and organizations began referring to Gaza as a ‘graveyard for Palestinian children,” journalist and political analyst Ramzy Baroud said.
“However, as the genocidal Israeli war dragged on, Gaza, has a become a graveyard for almost every category of Palestinians, whether divided by gender, age groups or even profession,” Baroud added.
“Those who are doubting that what is happening in Gaza is a genocide need to consider the fact that the very people responsible for providing aid to Palestinian victims, UN workers, have themselves been victimized in ways unprecedented in their own history.”
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 20,424 Palestinians have been killed, and 54,036 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7. Palestinian and international estimates say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
