Condemnations blast 'Israel's' anti-UNRWA legislation
4 Min Read
International and regional voices are slamming the recently instated Israeli law that prohibits UNRWA's operations, which would further worsen the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza.
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Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli strike on a school run by UNRWA, in Nuseirat, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (AP)
On Monday, the Israeli occupation passed a law prohibiting the the United Nations Palestinian Refugee Agency (UNRWA) from operating in "Israel", in a move to further exacerbate the worsening humanitarian situation of Palestinians as the genocide ravages the Strip.
Condemnations soon poured in, highlighting the severe consequences the Palestinian people would suffer, and slamming the law as a dangerous precedent the international community must reject.
International condemnations
Syria
The Syrian Foreign Ministry warned of the catastrophic consequences the Palestinian people would suffer as a result of the ongoing obstruction and blockage of aid deliveries, further calling for support to resume UNRWA's operations, as well as its vital role in providing assistance and relief to the people of Palestine.
Iraq
The Iraqi government strongly denounced the Israeli decision to prohibit UNRWA's operations, saying it would tremendously escalate and exacerbate the human suffering in Gaza and jeopardize the lives of millions of Palestinians, including women, children, and the elderly.
Iraq called on the international community to act in the spirit of humanity and urged each country to fulfill its obligations under international law. It further appealed for decisive action to put an end to these serious violations.
Egypt
Egypt's Foreign Ministry said the legislation comes as part of a long series of international law and humanitarian law violations, reflecting the Israeli erosion of the international community and the United Nations.
Turkey
The Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement labeling the Israeli law as a clear and blatant violation of international law.
Palestinian Resistance
Al-Mujahideen Movement
The Al-Mujahideen movement issued a statement strongly condemning the legislation, coining it "a new insult and contempt towards the United Nations, its institutions, its resolutions, and the entire international system."
"This aggressive decision represents a serious attack on one of the main witnesses to the crime of the twentieth century," the statement further read, adding that it aims at dismantling and erasing the Palestinian cause, undermining the right of return the Palestinians strongly hold on to, as forced expulsion and displacement continue to be a main Israeli tactic enforced on Palestine and Gaza.
The movement demanded that the international community and its institutions "take serious steps to hold this rogue entity accountable and to stop the silence and impotence that undermine its reasons for existence."
Fatah Movement
The Fatah movement said the classification of UNRWA as a terrorist organization goes hand in hand with the genocide being committed against the Palestinian people, adding "We and our people will thwart all attempts to obliterate our legitimate national rights."
An 'outrageous' legislation
"Israel" has frequently demanded that UNRWA be dismantled and its responsibilities moved to other UN organizations. Israeli lawmaker Sharren Haskel boldly claimed that since the UN is unwilling to "clean this organization from terrorism," Israeli measures must be taken.
The proposal has upset the United Nations and some of "Israel's" Western allies who believe it would exacerbate the already grave humanitarian situation in Gaza, where "Israel" has ruthlessly and repeatedly bombed civilians for the last year.
Juliette Touma, the main spokesperson for the organization, stated that previous attempts to replace the organization "failed miserably", adding that "it's outrageous that a member state of the United Nations is working to dismantle a UN agency which also happens to be the largest responder in the humanitarian operation in Gaza."
Read more: WSJ admits no proof of UNRWA staff collaborating with Hamas
