The head of the main United Nations agency supporting people in Gaza, Philippe Lazzarini, has accused Israel of attempting to 'destroy' the organization and the concept that Palestinians are refugees with a right to return home. Lazzarini leads the U.N. aid agency known as UNRWA, which was established more than 70 years ago to aid Palestinians displaced during the 1948 Mideast war over Israel's formation.
Lazzarini's recent claims mark a strong rebuttal against Israeli allegations that UNRWA ignored possible Hamas infiltration in its Gaza operations. The Commissioner-General highlighted Israel's perceived long-term objective of ending the agency's existence to resolve the Palestinian refugee status and the right of return.
