Country: occupied Palestinian territory Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East From Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA Commissioner-General as posted on his official X account (previously known as Twitter) As if banning international media is not enough.Humanitarian workers are also banned when they report on atrocities committed in Gaza and elsewhere in the occupied Palestinian territory.The denial of a visa to our colleague from OCHA oPt is the latest in a pattern of restrictions.Since the beginning of the war, the Israeli authorities have increasingly denied or failed to renew visas for UN staff, including Humanitarian Coordinators, heads of UN agencies, and staff of International NGOs.In addition, legislative restrictions to intimidate Israeli Human rights organisations were adopted.All UNRWA international staff have not been granted visas for nearly six months now.I, too, have been denied entry to Gaza since March 2024 after the ICJ ruling, and to the West Bank including East Jerusalem since June 2024.Visas must be granted to humanitarian staff to support the work of their Palestinian colleagues.Coupled with the ongoing ban of international media to enter Gaza, these visa denials are deepening the spread of dis-information and increasing de-humanization of the people in Gaza.Background Information: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.