UNITED NATIONS, December 18. /TASS/. The representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Gaza Strip, Richard Pieperkorn, will act as temporary UN humanitarian coordinator in the Palestinian territories, as the Israeli authorities refused to extend the visa of Lynn Hastings, who previously held the post, the official representative of the UN Secretary General Stephane Dujarric said.

"I also want to flag to you that Rick Pieperkorn, the World Health Organization's representative in the occupied Palestinian territory, will act as the resident and humanitarian coordinator for the UN ad interim. This follows Lynn Hastings departure on Saturday, and that was because of the non-renewal of her visas by the Israeli authorities," he said at a briefing.

Earlier, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said the visa decision was related to Hastings' position on the October 7 attack by armed supporters of the radical Palestinian Hamas movement on Israel.

In late October, Israel's permanent representative to the UN Gilad Erdan said that the Jewish state would deny visas to representatives of the world organization because of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ position on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.