The United Nations for Relief and Work Agency in the Far East (UNRWA) decided Friday to resume providing humanitarian services to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip after receiving guarantees from Israel that it won't be targeted.
The UNRWA, which provides humanitarian aid to 80 percent of the strip population, said in a statement that the decision was made after Israel promised that its institutions, mainly schools and cars, won't be targeted.
The UN relief agency has opened 21 schools that it runs in the Gaza Strip to shelter hundreds of families who either fled their homes in fear of getting hurt or their houses were destroyed by Israeli warplanes' missiles.
It also offers food supplies to about one million Palestinians, mainly during the 14 days of the Israeli military offensive.
However, it decided to suspend its operations in Gaza after an UNRWA lorry driver was killed in northern Gaza by Israeli soldiers, although a safe passage for the truck was coordinated between the UN and Israel.
Three UNRWA schools were hit by Israeli missiles and tanks shells over the past a few days, the worst was a school in Jabalia refugee camp where many civilians, including women and children, were killed.
(Xinhua News Agency January 10, 2009)