Matthias Schmale and his deputy have been declared personae non gratae in enclave, hauled before bosses in Jerusalem.
Palestinian factions on Wednesday effectively labeled United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) head in the Gaza Strip persona non grata and declared that he and his deputy would not be permitted to return to the Hamas-controlled coastal enclave, reported The Jerusalem Post.
The factions accused Matthias Schmale and David de Bold of being “a major reason for the suffering of thousands of Palestinian refugees and UNRWA employees in the Gaza Strip.”
They added that the UNRWA director and his deputy would no longer be welcome in the Strip “due to hostile positions and bias in favor of the occupation.”
Both Schmale and de Bold were hauled before their bosses in Jerusalem, “for consultations and debriefing about the latest events.”
Schmale came under heavy criticism last week, after he conducted an interview in which he said that Israel Defense Force (IDF) strikes in Gaza during the recent flare-up of violence appeared “precise” and “sophisticated.” Although he pointed out that some 60 children were killed – 19 of whom went to UNRWA schools (despite it not being clear who was killed due to rockets that misfired or Israeli strikes) – the die was cast.
Many Palestinians accused Schmale of “ignoring Israeli crimes,” according to the Post and there had been a growing momentum since last week’s interview to demand his immediate withdrawal from the Strip.
The UNRWA director’s attempt to walk back his comments, in addition to his calling for an independent investigation into the IDF’s Operation Guardian of the Walls, was not enough to save his position.
