Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry blamed Israeli authorities for preventing the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini from entering Rafah, Gaza. In a press conference with Shoukry in Cairo on 18 March, Lazzarini explained that he was scheduled to visit Rafah and inspect the humanitarian conditions of the city but was denied entry. Shoukry described Israel’s entry refusal of a high-ranking UN official as “unprecedented”. Lazzarini accused Israel of conducting a destructive campaign to dissolve UNRWA, which caused several Western governments to cut donations. Israel lobbied for funding to be cut in January 2023 after accusing the UNRWA of staffing members involved in Hamas’ 7 October attack, causing major donors like the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany to suspend funding. The Israeli government has yet to provide evidence for its accusations against UNRWA, causing the European Union, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, and Australia to resume donations to the agency. “Funding for UNRWA, the UN agency serving millions of Palestinian refugees in various regions, should not be constrained by baseless accusations,” Shoukry emphasized, commending UNRWA’s efforts in supporting Palestinians in…
