News- Middle East: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has paid tribute to the agency's frontline workers in the Gaza Strip, revealing that nearly 360 UNRWA staff members have been killed during the Israeli regime’s genocide in the besieged territory.

On the occasion of World Humanitarian Day, Commissioner General of UNRWA Philippe Lazzarini commended the frontline staff in Gaza in a post on his X account on Tuesday.

“Since the war began, UNRWA staff has paid a heavy price: nearly 360 personnel have been killed, several in the line of duty; hundreds have been injured,” he noted.

He also said that nearly 50 personnel have been abducted and some were tortured before their release.

Lazzarini underscored that the “staff are however not giving up despite the hell they experience daily,” adding that although the agency faces existential threats, its teams “act for humanity.”

He also honored UNRWA teams operating throughout the region, praising their continued delivery of essential services, especially education and primary health care, “amid immense challenges and against all odds.”

Lazzarini emphasized that UNRWA workers "deserve support, respect and admiration" for their commitment to serve Palestine refugees until a just solution is found to their plight.

He called for an end to the decades-long occupation through diplomatic means, stating, "It's time. It's overdue."

Israel has launched a genocidal war on Gaza since October 7, 2023, after Palestinian resistance fighters carried out the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against the Zionist entity in response to the regime's decades-long campaign of death and destruction against Palestinians.

The regime has sealed all border crossings, blocking the entry of aid and further worsening Gaza's already dire humanitarian crisis since March 2, when it violated its ceasefire agreement with Hamas.

The regime’s bloody onslaught on Gaza has so far killed nearly 62,004 Palestinians and injured 156,230 others, mostly women and children.

Source: Press TV