Unrwa staff 'harassed and obstructed' by Israel in West Bank
Staff working at the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) in the occupied West Bank have been subject to sustained harassment and obstruction by Israeli forces since the war on Gaza began five months ago, according to a report seen by The Guardian.
An internal Unrwa document recorded hundreds of incidents where staff were beaten at military checkpoints and the Israeli army used the agency's facilities to launch violent raids on Palestinian refugee camps.
In one incident, two Unrwa staff were forcefully made to leave their marked UN vehicle at gunpoint at a checkpoint near Bethlehem, while the vehicle was searched by Israeli officers who made "reference to the staff belonging to Hamas".
They were then made to kneel down, and were blindfolded, handcuffed with cable ties and beaten, before a senior officer intervened.
In an example of obstruction, a shipment of medicine earmarked for Unrwa health centres was held up by Israeli customs in Jordan for over two months. It was only cleared on Sunday, hours after The Guardian contacted Israeli authorities. A customs spokesperson denied there had been a delay.
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