Foreign minister urges UNRWA chief to resign

Foreign Minister Israel Katz says UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini should step down, after the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees expresses alarm as countries pull funding over allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in Hamas’s October 7 terror onslaught in southern Israel.

“Mr. Lazzarini please resign,” reads a terse tweet from Katz.

Mr. Lazzarini please resign.@UNLazzarini https://t.co/QKbrz7G9aB

— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) January 27, 2024

Katz earlier said UNRWA should be replaced “with agencies dedicated to genuine peace and development,” once fighting dies down.

Also on X, government spokesman Eylon Levy accuses UNRWA of being a “front for Hamas” and covering up for the terror group after the agency reported that Hamas had commandeered fuel and medicine before backtracking shortly after the war broke out.

UNRWA is a Hamas front.

It literally covers up for Hamas.

At the start of the war it admitted Hamas stole fuel and medical equipment from its stockpiles, then deleted the tweets and denied “reports on social media” (its own tweets).

This isn’t about 12 bad apples. pic.twitter.com/1oIh38O2et

— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) January 27, 2024

Meanwhile, Scottish First Minister Humza Youssef appears to back Lazarini, despite his government joining others in freezing funds to UNRWA.

“The people of Gaza are dying in the midst of a humanitarian catastrophe, they cannot be collectively punished,” tweets Youssef, whose wife is from Gaza.

Important statement from @UNRWA head @UNLazzarini that all allegations will be independently investigated.

The people of Gaza are dying in the midst of a humanitarian catastrophe, they cannot be collectively punished. Aid must get to those who are already suffering so badly. https://t.co/8q58iwz2V9

— Humza Yousaf (@HumzaYousaf) January 27, 2024