"UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES IN THE NEAR EAST - UNRWA"

Addressing the Security Council, Tor Wennesland, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said, “The devastating conflict in Gaza has continued, alongside daily violence in the occupied West Bank.” UNIFEED

The head of the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini, told reporters, “UNRWA is an instrument of the Member States,” adding that “the attempt to eliminate UNRWA are not just based on neutrality breaches of some of the staff, but in reality has a much broader political objective behind it, which in a certain extent, is to eliminate the statue of refugees and make sure that this is not part of a final political settlement.” UNIFEED

Briefing the General Assembly, the head of the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini said the agency “is facing a deliberate and concerted campaign to undermine its operations, and ultimately end them.” UNIFEED

Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

The Secretary-General "condemned the incident in northern Gaza in which more than a hundred people were reportedly killed or injured while seeking life-saving aid," a UN Spokesperson said. UNIFEED

According to UNRWA, 155 UNRWA installations have been damaged in the Gaza Strip. Exclusive footage of the destruction of UNRWA Headquarters in Gaza city. UNRWA staff left its headquarters in Gaza City on 12 October following the Israeli evacuation orders and as bombardment intensified in the area. UN NEWS

General Assembly President Dennis Francis said the United Nations “is not the problem” adding that “some member states of the United Nations feel that they can freely and wantonly violate the charter and violate international law, and then they can walk away from it.” UNTV CH

Catherine Colonna, Chair of the Independent Review Group on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), said, “My goal is to deliver a report that is rigorous, evidence-based and that would help UNRWA deliver on its mandate.” UNIFEED

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said, after emerging from a briefing with Member States, “people are anxious and in fear of the possible large scale military operation,” reiterating that “there is absolutely no safe place in Rafah anymore.” UNTV CH

The Secretary-General, in consultation with UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, today appointed an independent Review Group to assess whether the Agency is doing everything within its power to ensure neutrality and to respond to allegations of serious breaches that have been made, a UN spokesperson said. UNIFEED