The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has lost contact with its staff in Gaza amid the Israeli bombardment of the coastal strip.
UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini said he had lost contact with the “vast majority” of his team.
“This makes me immensely worried for colleagues and their families.”
He said he sincerely hoped his message would reach staff.
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Lazzarini described the communications blackout as “yet another action taken to try to impede the humanitarian response to the civilians of the Gaza Strip.”
But he said the agency would not be discouraged by this. “Our determination remains unshaken.”
“We will continue to fulfil our humanitarian duty, even in the face of these unprecedented challenges.”
UNRWA remains committed to protecting the approximately 2.2 million people in Gaza, he said.
“You are the face of humanity during one of its darkest hours,” he told staff.
Lazzarini earlier warned of many more deaths as aid is unable to reach people in Gaza due to the Israeli blockade. He called for a humanitarian ceasefire.
“We can no longer ignore this human tragedy,” he said, calling Gaza a “hell on earth.”
Meanwhile, after expanding its ground operations in Gaza, Israel’s army said on Saturday that it had identified and attacked several terror cells in the area.
“Since early Friday evening, combined combat forces of armour, combat engineers and infantry have been operating on the ground in the northern Gaza Strip,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.
“As part of the operation, IDF soldiers identified terrorist cells attempting to launch anti-tank missiles and mortar shells and struck them. IDF soldiers also identified and destroyed a booby-trapped structure,” it said.
The army’s tanks directed helicopters toward a “Hamas operational meeting point for its terrorist operatives inside a building” and struck the building, the IDF said.
“In addition, several terrorist cells attempted to fire anti-tank missiles at the soldiers.
“The soldiers neutraliSed the cells,” the army said.
It was initially unclear whether the people were killed.
