“The convoy was stopped at gunpoint just after the Wadi Gaza checkpoint with threats to detain UN staff. Heavy damage was caused by bulldozers to the UN armored vehicles,” Lazzarini wrote on his X account early on Tuesday.
“The convoy had both national & international staff traveling to roll out the polio vaccination campaign for children in Gaza City and northern Gaza,” he said. “We are not able to confirm whether the polio campaign will take place tomorrow, (Tuesday) in northern Gaza.”
The UNRWA head criticized the Israeli regime’s inhumane actions, saying that the incident was the latest violation by the Israeli forces against the UN staff.
As he wrote, “All staff & convoy are now released & back safely in the UN base.”
Despite prior notification, the armed forces of the Zionist regime shot at the UN convoy and arrested the staff.
“UN Staff must be allowed to undertake their duties in safety + be protected at all times in accordance with international humanitarian law.”
Since the start of the war in Gaza last October, more than 40,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in the enclave.
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