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Jerusalem Official Claims UNRWA Attack Reflects Genocide

4/5/2026

Summary

Story summary

Jerusalem's deputy mayor, Arieh King, asserts that Israel's attack on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) constitutes a broader genocide against Palestinians.
Since the violence escalated in October 2023, nearly 400 UNRWA staff members have died, and facilities have been destroyed.
UNRWA commissioner general Philippe Lazarinni warns of the agency's impending collapse due to insufficient donor support and the UN's failure to defend its staff.
Lazarinni urges donors to act to avoid complicity in genocide.

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Story summary

Jerusalem's deputy mayor, Arieh King, asserts that Israel's attack on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) constitutes a broader genocide against Palestinians.
Since the violence escalated in October 2023, nearly 400 UNRWA staff members have died, and facilities have been destroyed.
UNRWA commissioner general Philippe Lazarinni warns of the agency's impending collapse due to insufficient donor support and the UN's failure to defend its staff.
Lazarinni urges donors to act to avoid complicity in genocide.