Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini stressed that no place and no one in Gaza has been safe since the war began in October 2023.

“As the year begins, we got reports of yet another attack on Al Mawasi with dozens of people killed and injured,” he said, calling this “another reminder that there is no humanitarian zone let alone a ‘safe zone’”.

He warned that “every day without a ceasefire will bring more tragedy.”

Media under attack

Separately, UNRWA recalled that the Israeli authorities continue to prevent international media from operating and reporting inside Gaza.

“Access to international journalists to report freely from Gaza must be granted,” the agency said.

Relatedly, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said it is deeply concerned by the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) suspension of the operations of the Al Jazeera news network in the occupied West Bank.

The Qatar-based channel was accused of broadcasting “inciting materials” that were “deceiving and stirring strife”, according to international media reports which cited the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.

The development comes amid the “troubling trend” of suppressing freedom of opinion and expression in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, OHCHR said, urging the PA “to reverse course and respect its international law obligations.”

More to follow…