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<h1><b>In protest of Israeli attacks on its convoys; the UNRWA halts its
operations in
Gaza</b></h1><font size=3>
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Thursday January 08, 2009
20:02<img src="http://www.imemc.org/graphics/person.gif" width=14 height=12 alt="author">
by Gaza office - IMEMC News
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<dl>
<dd>The United Nations Relief and Works Agency UNRWA announced on
Thursday evening that the agency will halt all of its operations in
Gaza.<br><br>
</dl><a name="attachment34390"></a>
<a href="http://www.imemc.org/attachments/jan2009/civilians_killed_in_the_israeli_continued_attacks_on_gaza__photo_by_pchr_2009.jpg">
<img src="http://www.imemc.org/cache/imagecache/local/attachments/jan2009/400_0___10000000_0_0_0_0_0_civilians_killed_in_the_israeli_continued_attacks_on_gaza__photo_by_pchr_2009.jpg" width=400 height=276 alt="Civilians killed in the Israeli continued attacks on Gaza ʏ">
</a><a name="attachment34390"></a><br>
Civilians killed in the Israeli continued attacks on Gaza Photo by PCHR
2009<br><br>
UNRWA, which is the only agency left that manages aid to the attacked
Gaza Strip, said in a press statement that the decision to halt the work
comes as a protest to the Israeli attacks on the agency staff and
institutions.<br><br>
Adnan Abu Hassnah, the spokesman of UNRWA in Gaza, said in the statement
that the agency trucks convoy was attacked today by the Israeli army, he
added that one UNRWA staff member was killed and one injured, the convey
was bring in aid supplies into Gaza from the Israeli-Gaza borders, the
army was informed of the convey and gave the permission, Abu Hassnah
said.<br><br>
On Tuesday January 3, 2009, the Israeli troops launched an attack on a
school run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency UNRWA in the
northern Gaza town of Jabaliya. The attack left 43 Palestinians dead and
around 100 wounded. Doctors said all the dead were either people seeking
shelter in the school or residents of the nearby Jabaliya refugee camp.
<br><br>
With the halt of the UNRWA aid work the 1.5 million Palestinians living
in the Gaza Strip will be left with no sources of food or any other aid
supply, local sources reported.<br><br>
Doctors working in Gaza s hospitals say they ve been swamped by
casualties but lack essential drugs, medicines, medical equipment, and
spare parts. Several paramedics have also been killed after coming under
tank and artillery fire.<br><br>
A number of clinics have been forced to close because of clashes nearby,
said Oxfam Great Britain s Country Director in Jerusalem, John
Prideaux-Brune. Additionally, hospitals are struggling to function
because of round-the-clock power cuts. Fuel for back-up generators is now
dangerously low. Scores of patients in intensive care face certain death
if those generators stop.<br><br>
On Tuesday, generators at Ministry of Health ambulance stations, vaccine
stores, labs and warehouses shut down temporarily after running out of
fuel, he said. The UN has managed to deliver food to some hospitals and
southern areas in the past few days but has had to cancel distributions
elsewhere. Similarly, a small amount of fuel has been trucked into the
Strip recently but clashes have prevented distribution to most of those
who need it.<br><br>
The death toll in Gaza by Thursday evening stands at 765; half of them
are children and women, in addition to 3,200 injured, among them 500 in
critical condition. The Israeli army embarked on its military offensive
on Saturday December 27, 2008. Israeli warplanes started by shelling all
the Palestinian security posts there. In the following days the shelling
was expanded.<br><br>
Hospitals, homes, blacksmith workshops, schools, and mosques where
targeted. Day and night all the Palestinian coastal region was under
attack. On Saturday January 3, 2009 Israeli ground forces entered the
Gaza strip and divided it into two sections.<br><br>
<br><br>
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