Continuation of UNRWA's operation in Gaza 'extraordinarily important': Agency's director of health

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees' director of health on Tuesday said that the continuation of the agency's work in Gaza is "extraordinarily important."

"I'm not in a position to answer or respond to what Israel is discussing now, but what I can say is this: UNRWA is critical and essential for the people in the West Bank and Gaza," Akihiro Seita told a UN press briefing in Geneva upon Anadolu's question on EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell's recent remarks.

Borrell said on Monday: "Today the Israeli parliament – the Knesset - has been starting to study a law to declare that UNRWA will be forbidden to act and work in the West Bank and Gaza, certainly, it is not going to help."

Seita underscored that the agency is covering the primary health care of around 70% of people in Gaza, calling it "quite a large number."

"So, without UNRWA, it is an extraordinarily tough situation," he said adding: "UNRWA is critical, essential and it is providing the service needed to the people. So, the continuation of UNRWA is extraordinarily important."

Alessandra Vellucci, director of the UN Information Service in Geneva, for her part, reiterated that UNRWA is the "backbone of the humanitarian operation" in Gaza and added: "No other entity has the capacity to deliver assistance to the people of Gaza, and, of course, the Palestinian territories."

Israel has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year.

The military campaign has turned much of the enclave of 2.3 million people into ruins, leaving most civilians homeless and at risk of famine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered it to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.