US-backed Gaza aid model ‘distraction from atrocities’, UNRWA chief says

Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, called the US-backed aid model in Gaza a distraction from atrocities and has criticized it for bypassing humanitarian principles. Days after chaotic scenes at an aid distribution center in Rafah, thousands were denied supplies as Israeli forces controlled access to Gaza, killing many and undermining aid efforts that had helped over 8,000 people since the blockade was eased last week. The UN and other aid groups have accused Israel of violating humanitarian norms by controlling supply routes, while Lazzarini emphasized that bypassing the UN risks furthering displacement and neglecting vulnerable populations.