Gaza Strip: Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini stressed that the UN agency is the backbone of the aid operation in the Gaza Strip.

According to Qatar News Agency, Lazzarini said in a press interview Israel’s disposal of the agency will not solve the Palestinian refugee issue, but may exacerbate the problem. The UNRWA Commissioner-General added that the agency works to provide health care and education to Palestinian refugees in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

Last week, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Sigrid Kaag voiced concern about attempts to stop the UNRWA operations in the occupied Palestinian territories, stressing that the agency’s services are still necessary and must be allowed to continue without hindrance.