'Israel' seeking 'eradication of Palestinians': UN Special Rapporteur
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UN officials continue to condemn "Israel's" actions in Palestine, with UNICEF spokesperson James Elder say the Israeli ban on UNRWA was a new way "found to kill children"
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Barbed wire covers the walls surrounding the UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) West Bank Field Office in al-Quds on October 29, 2024 (AFP)
"Israel" is committing genocide in Gaza and seeking the “eradication of Palestinians” from their land, underlined Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on Palestine.
"The genocide of the Palestinians appears to be the means to an end: the complete removal or eradication of Palestinians from the land so integral to their identity, and which is illegally and openly coveted by Israel," she said.
Albanese's statement came a day after the Israeli parliament passed legislation banning the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) from operating within Palestinian territories occupied by "Israel" in 1948 and occupied East al-Quds, despite international objections.
In January, "Israel" had accused a dozen UNRWA Gaza employees of involvement in the events of October 7, 2023, but a series of probes found no evidence for the Israeli allegations.
The ban will take effect in 90 days, halting UNRWA’s operations, including education, healthcare, and sanitation in certain neighborhoods.
'A dangerous precedent'
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini condemned the decision, calling it “a dangerous precedent” and part of an "ongoing campaign to discredit UNRWA.” He warned on X (formerly Twitter) that the bill “will only deepen the suffering of Palestinians.”
The move has drawn condemnation from several countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Prior to the vote, the US expressed “deep concern” over the bill and reiterated UNRWA’s vital role in providing humanitarian assistance in Gaza.
Washington warned "Israel" on October 15, setting a 30-day deadline to increase Gaza aid or risk potential withholding of US military assistance.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer voiced Britain’s “grave concern,” saying the bill would make "UNRWA's essential work for Palestinians impossible, jeopardising the entire international humanitarian response in Gaza and delivery of essential health and education services in the West Bank".
The German government also “sharply” criticized the bill, while Ireland, Norway, Spain, and Slovenia issued a joint statement condemning it.
World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called UNRWA “an irreplaceable lifeline” to the Palestinian people and warned of “devastating consequences” on "all those who depend on UNRWA."
UNICEF: A new way has been found to kill children
UNRWA and other humanitarian agencies have accused Israeli authorities of limiting aid flows to Gaza, where nearly all of the territory’s 2.4 million residents have been displaced at least once during the ongoing war.
Since the war’s outset, UNRWA has reported the killing of at least 223 staff members and extensive damage or destruction to two-thirds of its facilities in Gaza.
On his part, UNICEF spokesperson James Elder warned that the latest Israeli bill risks the collapse of the humanitarian system in Gaza.
"So a decision such as this suddenly means that a new way has been found to kill children," he said.
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs spokesperson Jens Laerke stressed that there is no substitute for UNRWA, noting that if implemented, the Israeli bill "would add to the acts of collective punishment that we have seen imposed on Gaza."
Amy Pope, Director General of the International Organization for Migration, also underscored that the organization cannot replace UNRWA in Gaza, although it could offer additional relief to those suffering amid the crisis.
Read more: UN chief says UNRWA 'indispensable', irreplaceable after Israeli ban
