The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has expressed deep sorrow over the confirmed deaths of two more UNRWA staff members and eight Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) aid workers and first responders in Gaza.

“This brings the death toll of aid workers to 408, including more than 280 UNRWA staff, since the war began a year and a half ago,” Philippe Lazzarini stated in a post on X.

He revealed that the body of a UNRWA staff member killed in Rafah was recovered, along with the remains of the PRCS aid workers, all of whom had been discarded in shallow graves. Lazzarini described this act as “a profound violation of human dignity.”

The UNRWA chief underscored the urgent need for civilian protection, emphasizing that civilians, whether on the front lines or at home with their families, must be safeguarded at all times. He also warned that the targeted killing of aid workers in Gaza was becoming a disturbing pattern.

“This cannot become the new norm. There must be accountability. International humanitarian law applies to all, without exception,” Lazzarini stressed.

The latest killings come amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes and a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where aid agencies have struggled to deliver assistance due to repeated attacks and severe restrictions on humanitarian access. Human rights organizations continue to call for urgent international intervention to ensure the protection of aid workers and civilians in the war-torn territory. (ILKHA)