It has been reported that Israeli officials have stated that Foreign Minister Sal has ordered the cancellation of Jonathan Whittel’s visa renewal, the UNHCR representative in occupied Palestinian territories. The decision is attributed to accusations of “anti-Israeli bias”.
The incident stemmed from Whittel’s public criticism last month, which accused the Gaza aid distribution points of being deliberately created as killing sites, and claimed that “Gaza is experiencing massacres—famine is weaponized, and civilians are forcibly displaced; this is a death sentence for those seeking survival.”
Whittel has been working in Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip for an extended period, with his visa expiring at the end of August this year. Israel’s decision means that after his visa expires, Whittel will not be able to work in the West Bank and Gaza region.
A United Nations spokesperson, Dujarric, confirmed last week that three heads from the UNHCR, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the UNRWA in the Gaza Strip had their visas not renewed by Israel. UNHCR Deputy Secretary-General Fletcher criticized Israel for refusing to issue visas as a “revenge against the protection of civilians” during a Security Council meeting. (CCTV Zhao Bing)