NEW YORK (Palestine Foundation Information Center) UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini has warned that international attention on Gaza is fading dangerously as Israel’s war on the Strip continues unabated, describing the humanitarian situation as “extremely dire” under the ongoing Israeli genocide.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency on Wednesday, Lazzarini noted that since Israel launched its attacks on Iran on June 13, the global spotlight has shifted away from Gaza, even as Israeli occupation forces (IOF) continue daily bombings and displacements across the besieged territory.
“People in Gaza are still fleeing every day. They feel completely trapped because of the so-called aid regime imposed by Tel Aviv,” Lazzarini said, referencing the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation—a limited aid plan initiated by Israel and the US on May 27 without United Nations or international oversight.
According to UNRWA, this aid mechanism has forced thousands of starving Palestinians to risk their lives approaching designated distribution points, where they are often met with Israeli fire. “People are asking: Do I let my family starve to death? Or do I risk my life for food? We are facing a truly horrific situation,” Lazzarini said.
He expressed hope that the recently announced ceasefire between Israel and Iran—brokered by Qatar and the US—would prove durable and allow renewed international focus on Gaza’s worsening crisis.
“We urgently need de-escalation in a region that cannot afford another war,” Lazzarini stressed. “I hope this ceasefire will let us refocus on Gaza—on securing a truce, releasing prisoners, lifting the blockade, and delivering unrestricted humanitarian aid at scale,” he added.
Lazzarini added that during previous truces, UNRWA demonstrated it could effectively address hunger and that aid convoys are currently waiting at Gaza’s borders, ready to enter once access is granted.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel—with full backing from the United States—has been carrying out what international human rights bodies describe as a genocidal war against the Palestinian people in Gaza.
The toll so far: over 187,000 Palestinians killed or wounded, more than 11,000 missing, and a famine claiming increasing numbers of lives, especially among children. Hundreds of thousands remain forcibly displaced, living amid widespread destruction and under a total blockade.
