UNRWA says it won’t heed Israel’s call to evacuate parts of Rafah ahead of planned offensive

The United Nations agency serving Palestinian refugees says it will not heed the Israeli military’s call to evacuate parts of the southern Gaza city of Rafah ahead of a planned offensive.

Juliette Touma, communications director for UNRWA, says the agency has not evacuated the area and has no plans to do so.

She says it has thousands of employees in the city.

“UNRWA will not take part in any forced evacuation of the population in Rafah or elsewhere in Gaza,” she says. “We are committed to staying and delivering humanitarian assistance.”

Touma also calls for a ceasefire.

Relations between Israel and UNRWA have long been strained and further deteriorated during the seven-month war, sparked by the Hamas onslaught on October 7.

Israel has accused UNRWA of collaborating with the terror group and employing Hamas members, and has called for the agency’s closure. UNRWA, the largest international provider of aid and services in Gaza, denies the accusations.