Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights condemned on Sunday the detention of a UN official who was passing through Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing in the northern Gaza Strip.
The Center said in a statement that the Israeli occupation authorities arrested the deputy head of the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) in the Gaza Strip Hamdan Temraz 61 on 12th July as he was heading to Jerusalem for a work mission.
Temraz was stopped and detained despite having a permit the Center added.
According to al-Mezan Temraz’s wife said that she lost contact with her husband after he arrived at the crossing noting that Temraz regularly travels outside the Gaza Strip in missions related to his work at UNDSS.
The Center explained that such Israeli practices are aimed at blocking the work of the international organizations in the Gaza Strip pointing out that 8 employees working in these organizations have been arrested since the beginning of 2014.
It affirmed that hundreds of employees are denied the permits required to enter or exit Gaza to be able to follow up their organizations’ work not to mention the Israeli incitement campaigns they are exposed to.
It called on the international community to shoulder its legal responsibilities to ensure the safety of civilians especially those working in humanitarian organizations.
