UNRWA slams Israeli ban on international journalists reporting ‘truth’ on Gaza
UNRWA slams Israeli ban on international journalists reporting ‘truth’ on Gaza
M.U.H
08/06/202535
The head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, says the Israeli regime must lift its ban on international journalists entering Gaza.
“This is unprecedented in any other conflict in modern history,” Lazzarini said in a statement posted on his official X account on Friday.
He stated that Israeli authorities have blocked international journalists from entering Gaza since the war began 20 months ago. “It is a ban on the truth. It is a ban on reporting the facts. It is the perfect recipe for fueling misinformation, deepening polarization, and fostering dehumanization,” the UNRWA chief noted.
Emphasizing the importance of media freedom, he added, “International journalists must independently report from Gaza and support their Palestinian colleagues, who continue to do a heroic job at a heavy price.”
“Nearly 200 of them have reportedly been killed since the war began,” said Lazzarini, reiterating that “the ban on international media must be lifted.”
In a separate statement, the U.N. refugee agency for Palestinians once again called on the Israeli regime to cooperate regarding the allegations made against the agency, stating that no credible evidence has been provided to substantiate those claims.
“UNRWA has repeatedly requested cooperation and evidence from Israel regarding the serious allegations made against the agency,” the statement read.
Reaffirming its commitment to its mandate, UNRWA emphasized that it is prepared to deliver humanitarian assistance at scale in Gaza alongside other U.N. agencies.
In October last year, the Israeli parliament (Knesset) passed a bill banning UNRWA from operating in the occupied territories under the allegation that its operatives were linked to Hamas, without providing any evidence—a move condemned by numerous countries and U.N. agencies.
UNRWA was established by a U.N. resolution in 1949 and mandated to provide assistance and protection to Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.
