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In an interview with the Spanish newspaper El País, Philippe Lazzarini said that UNRWA had "been warning for months about signs of famine and sounding the alarm bells," but its warnings had "not been heard." He added that through its health centers, UNRWA had observed a "sixfold increase" in the number of acutely malnourished children in Gaza City over the past [six] months.

He also noted that in the West Bank there is an "unprecedented level of violence and forced displacement," which, if not overshadowed by the catastrophe in Gaza, would be making headlines today.

Answering a question about international humanitarian law and multilateral cooperation in future conflicts, Lazzarini said:

Gaza is turning into the cemetery of international humanitarian law. Everything is being blatantly ignored… including the ruling of the International Court of Justice in January 2024, which called for a significant increase in unrestricted aid. Look at where we are today.

Impunity prevails, and there is a growing perception that international humanitarian law is not universal in the region. Today, it is difficult to teach Palestinians in schools anything about human rights.

We have practically nullified the Geneva Conventions. What is happening and being accepted today in Gaza cannot be isolated; it will become the new norm for all future conflicts.