OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) decided to temporarily close its headquarters in Occupied Jerusalem after a number of settler attacks.
The head of the UN’s largest aid agency in Gaza, Philippe Lazzarini, said Israeli settlers twice set fire to the compound’s perimeter on Thursday evening.
Lazzarini said on X that while there were no casualties among the staff, the fire caused “extensive damage to outdoor areas.”
“Our director, with the help of other staff, had to put out the fire themselves as it took the Israeli fire extinguishers and police a while before they turned up,” he added.
Calling the arson “an outrageous development,” Lazzarini says he has “taken the decision to close down our compound until proper security is restored.”
“I call on all those who have influence to put an end to these attacks and hold all those responsible accountable,” he continued. “The perpetrators of these attacks must be investigated and those responsible must be held accountable. Anything less will set a new dangerous standard.”
