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.
Is The Times of Israel important to you?
If so, we have a request.
Every day, even during war, our journalists keep you abreast of the most important developments that merit your attention. Millions of people rely on ToI for fast, fair and free coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
We care about Israel - and we know you do too. So today, we have an ask: show your appreciation for our work by joining The Times of Israel Community, an exclusive group for readers like you who appreciate and financially support our work.
Yes, I'll give
Yes, I'll give
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You appreciate our journalism
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
You clearly find our careful reporting valuable, in a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically since October 7.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you'll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Monday, May 6, 2024
