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Live Blog Update| Israel's genocide in Gaza

Opinion: For Palestinian refugees, Unrwa means survival and protection of their identity

A UN-commissioned report has finally confirmed what many Palestinians knew to be true: there is no evidence that any employees of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, Unrwa, in Gaza participated in the 7 October attack on Israel.

Yet for seven months, the Israeli government has waged an aggressive smear campaign against the UN agency during its ongoing genocide in Gaza - driving several countries to suspend life-saving aid while targeting its employees, schools, warehouses and facilities in deadly strikes.

Many have argued that Israel is explicitly targeting and seeking to destroy Unrwa as part of its strategy to eliminate the Palestinian refugee issue and the right of return.

Globally, Unrwa has become synonymous with the intractable Palestinian refugee crisis and is recognised for its work to sustain Palestinian life and resilience, particularly in the camps.

READ MORE: For Palestinian refugees, Unrwa means survival and protection of their identity, opinion by Wesam Sabaaneh

Palestinian children hold signs reading in Arabic
Palestinian children hold signs reading in Arabic 'my right to play' and 'they killed our colleagues and destroyed our school' as they sit in a classroom in an Unwra school in Gaza on 7 May 2024 (AFP)