Geneva, March 31 (QNA) – The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) called for an investigation into the killing of its staff during the Israeli war on Gaza.

During a press conference in Geneva on Tuesday, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said that discussions are currently underway to launch a UN investigation into the deaths of more than 390 UNRWA staff members during the war on Gaza, noting the need for establishing a high-level panel of experts to investigate the killing of the UNRWA staff.

He noted that the matter has been raised with the office of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and with UN member state representatives in New York, pointing out that part of the reason for the delay in initiating such an investigation is that the conflict is still ongoing, with continuous Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip despite the ceasefire.

The UNRWA Commissioner-General stressed that the delay in implementing the second phase of the US plan to end the war in Gaza is worsening the suffering of Palestinians, noting that people are still living among the rubble in Gaza and continue to wait in line for hours each day to obtain clean water.

Earlier this month, Lazzarini had warned that UNRWA’s ability to continue to operate is at stake, and that any collapse would mean the Israeli authorities taking over its humanitarian responsibilities. (QNA)