The UNRWA chief has told Germany it must press Israel to stop its deadly attacks on UN aid workers, Al Jazeera reports.

“Germany must help the UN protect itself against Israel’s attacks. There is no contradiction, being a close friend of Israel and [having] red lines,” UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini said in an interview with Germany’s Der Spiegel news magazine.

“So far, 192 of our employees have been killed in Gaza. There have also been several arson attacks on our headquarters in East Jerusalem.”

Lazzarini pointed out that UNRWA workers have also been abused and tortured by Israel during their imprisonment. “Released employees have reported to us that they faced mistreatment, humiliation and torture, including even waterboarding,” he said.

“Many were almost naked, blindfolded and with cable tied up for long periods of time. What I had never heard before, that prisoners were forced to wear diapers for weeks because they couldn’t get access to sanitary facilities or just to humiliate them.”

Opinion

Editorial

Missing in action
17 Mar, 2026

Missing in action

NOT exactly known for playing a proactive role in protecting the interests of Muslim nations and populations...
Risk to stability
Updated 17 Mar, 2026

Risk to stability

THE risks to Pakistan’s fragile economic recovery from the US-Israel war on Iran cannot be dismissed. Yet the...
Enrolment push
17 Mar, 2026

Enrolment push

THE federal government has embarked upon the welcome initiative to enrol 25,000 out-of-school children in Islamabad...
Holding the line
16 Mar, 2026

Holding the line

PAKISTAN’S long battle against polio has recently produced encouraging signs. Data from the national eradication...
Power self-reliance
Updated 16 Mar, 2026

Power self-reliance

PAKISTAN’S transition to domestic sources of electricity is a welcome development for a country that has long been...
Looking for safety
16 Mar, 2026

Looking for safety

AS the Middle East conflict enters its third week, the war’s most enduring victims are not those who wage it....