UNRWA chief booed by Israel supporters "Gaza has become a hell on earth"
In his speech, Lazzarini emphasized the dramatic situation in the Middle East: "Gaza has become hell on earth."
Image: Mohammed Talatene/dpa
A Palestinian man sits in an armchair in front of a destroyed building in Gaza City.
Image: Mohammed Hajjar/AP/dpa
Palestinians rescue a girl from the rubble of an apartment building in Gaza City after an Israeli airstrike.
Image: Fatima Shbair/AP
The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is getting worse every day.
Image: Mahmoud Issa/dpa
Palestinians rescue a girl from the rubble of a building after an Israeli airstrike.
Image: Mohammed Abu Elsebah/dpa
A Palestinian woman injured in Israeli attacks waits for treatment in the now-bombed Shifa hospital.
Image: Mohammad Abu Elsebah/dpa
Many of the victims of Israeli bombs in Gaza are children.
Image: Mohammed Talatene/dpa
Many people in Gaza are affected by malnutrition.
Image: KEYSTONE/Ismael Mohamad
In his speech, Lazzarini emphasized the dramatic situation in the Middle East: "Gaza has become hell on earth."
Image: Mohammed Talatene/dpa
A Palestinian man sits in an armchair in front of a destroyed building in Gaza City.
Image: Mohammed Hajjar/AP/dpa
Palestinians rescue a girl from the rubble of an apartment building in Gaza City after an Israeli airstrike.
Image: Fatima Shbair/AP
The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is getting worse every day.
Image: Mahmoud Issa/dpa
Palestinians rescue a girl from the rubble of a building after an Israeli airstrike.
Image: Mohammed Abu Elsebah/dpa
A Palestinian woman injured in Israeli attacks waits for treatment in the now-bombed Shifa hospital.
Image: Mohammad Abu Elsebah/dpa
Many of the victims of Israeli bombs in Gaza are children.
Image: Mohammed Talatene/dpa
Many people in Gaza are affected by malnutrition.
Image: KEYSTONE/Ismael Mohamad
The war in the Middle East became a topic of discussion at the August 1st celebrations in Lausanne on Thursday evening. The speech by Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN Palestinian Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), was interrupted by shouts from pro-Israeli demonstrators.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- The UNRWA chief expressed disappointment with Switzerland, which has drastically cut its aid funding for UNRWA.
- Lazzarini spoke of global trouble spots and the increasing intolerance that makes people's suffering invisible.
- UNRWA came under fire in May 2024 when Israel accused it of being infiltrated by Hamas, which led to terminations and reduced aid payments.
- Lazzarini was celebrated by part of the audience, while others insulted and booed him as a terrorist.
The announcement of the speech by Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), had already attracted criticism at the end of June.
These critical voices could also be heard on Thursday evening in the port of Ouchy in Lausanne. During the first part of the official ceremony, boos rang out from the crowd every time Lazzarini's name was mentioned.
When Lazzarini took to the stage for his speech, around 50 signs were held up. Some showed photos of Israeli hostages, others denounced the work of UNRWA and accused it, for example, of obstructing the peace process or financing Hamas terrorists.
Disappointment with humanitarian Switzerland
Lazzarini remained unperturbed and delivered his speech in full. Some of the audience applauded the Swiss-Italian dual citizen. The Mayor of Lausanne, Gregoire Junod, praised Lazzarini as an important Swiss figure in the UN who embodied Switzerland's humanitarian tradition and the Geneva Convention.
Lazzarini himself was deeply disappointed that Switzerland has halved its aid funding for UNRWA in recent years, a measure that only Switzerland and the USA have taken.
In view of the deteriorating humanitarian situation, he had hoped for the opposite. The reactions in the audience were divided. The pro-Israeli demonstrators booed him, called him a terrorist and anti-Semite and once again held up signs with pictures of Israeli hostages. As the NZZ reported, one of the protesters shouted: "You have blood on your hands."
Other participants tried to drown out the boos with applause. For their part, they had brought posters accusing Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip.
No war without laws
In his speech, Lazzarini made an effort to take the Israeli perspective into account. He called October 7 a tragedy that had left deep traumas.
But this tragedy cannot excuse that of the Palestinian people. It cannot justify a war without laws and superlatives - in terms of the deaths of civilians, the suffering of children and the extent of the destruction.
UNRWA provides emergency aid
UNRWA, a temporary relief program of the United Nations, has existed de facto since 1949 and operates facilities in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza. The organization provides emergency aid in the form of food, medical supplies, clothing and shelter.
Lazzarini spoke of a "war without laws" and said: "Gaza has become a hell on earth."
In May 2024, UNRWA came under fire when Israel accused it of being infiltrated by the terrorist organization Hamas, which led to numerous dismissals and the suspension of aid payments by the USA and Switzerland. However, Israel was unable to provide any evidence for its UNRWA accusations.
