Israel stops giving visas to heads, staff of international NGO community: UNRWA

The Israeli Authorities have stopped giving visas to heads and staff of the international NGO community, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner General announced on the organisation's official X account today. 'As humanitarian needs continue increasing, we need more humanitarian workers, not less. The opposite is now happening in Gaza and the West Bank," he said. 'Fore years, these organisations have been providing humanitarian assistance to people in need in close partnership with the UN. Increasingly the government of Israel is phasing out representation from humanitarian organisations or those engaged in reporting on the atrocities of this war and the impact on civilians,' he added. He noted that humanitarian organisations and international media are prevented from doing their work properly. 'This has to end and restrictions must be lifted.' Source: Emirates News Agency