UN agency helping Palestinians in Gaza seeks support against Israel’s demands for its dissolution

By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The head of the U.N. agency that has helped millions of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank for decades is urging the U.N. Security Council to ensure its survival as Israel again demands its dissolution. Philippe Lazzarini told the council Wednesday that dismantling the agency known as UNRWA would deepen Gaza’s humanitarian crisis and speed up the onset of famine. Israel’s U.N. ambassador claimed, without providing evidence, that UNRWA has been totally infiltrated by Hamas and accused the agency of becoming part of Hamas’ “terror war machine.” Lazzarini says ending the agency’s Gaza operations would also have “lasting repercussions” on Palestinians, leaving a half million children without education and jeopardizing essential services when the Israel-Hamas war ends.