UNRWA condemns the violence that erupted during an Israeli Security Force (ISF) operation that quickly escalated into a wider confrontation between the ISF and Palestinian armed actors involving the use of at least one improvised explosive device and the firing of explosive weapons from helicopter aircraft. These events highlight the extent to which security conditions are rapidly deteriorating in the occupied West Bank, and the disproportionate impact of this conflict on Palestine Refugees. UNRWA calls on all parties to refrain from using such violent methods that place people's lives at risk, sometimes leading to their death.
The events on 19 June also led to widespread damage to at least 75 refugee homes. UNRWA is continuing to assess damage and disruptions to its installations and services.
Daily life in the West Bank is becoming untenable. Students will return to school to see the empty seats of their now deceased friends. Shopkeepers will need to start their days repairing damage from the violence. Health professionals will try to support numerous traumatized refugees. UNRWA has already recorded the highest number of Palestine Refugee fatalities, including the highest number of child refugee fatalities, in a single year since 2005 when the UN started systematically documenting them. The highest refugee fatality figures prior to this year were recorded in 2022.
Immediate measures are needed to avoid further escalating violence within refugee camps and prevent further loss of life.
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UNRWA is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. The United Nations General Assembly established UNRWA in 1949 with a mandate to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to registered Palestine refugees in the Agency's area of operations pending a just and lasting solution to their plight.
UNRWA operates in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, The Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
Tens of thousands of Palestine refugees who lost their homes and livelihoods due to the 1948 conflict continue to be displaced and in need of support, nearly 75 years on.
UNRWA helps Palestine Refugees achieve their full potential in human development through quality services it provides in education, health care, relief and social services, protection, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance, and emergency assistance. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions.
