UNRWA ban will ‘sabotage’ any chance of Gaza recovery: Chief

The head of the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees has said an Israeli ban on its operations will have a devastating effect on any chance for postwar recovery in Gaza. Philippe Lazzarini wrote a letter to UN General Assembly president Philemon Yang, urging member states to increase support for UNRWA after Israel banned the agency from operating in the country and the occupied Palestinian territories and from engaging with Israeli officials. Mr Lazzarini said the agency is under an attack “unprecedented in United Nations history” with grave consequences for Palestinians and the wider region.