Russia stands against blackmailing UNRWA: Envoy to UN
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Russia's Ambassador to the United Nations says Moscow condemns any discrediting of the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA.
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Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia addresses the United Nations General Assembly, on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, at United Nations headquarters. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia stressed that Russia stands against any politicization of the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA and finds the actions of donors to effectively blackmail the agency immoral.
"It is completely immoral and it is nothing more than donor blackmail and politicization of humanitarian issues," Nebenzia said in the UN Security Council chamber on Monday.
He warned that such actions against UNRWA are only worsening the suffering of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, affirming that Russia condemns any discrediting of the agency.
The Israeli occupation previously accused about a dozen UNRWA employees of taking part in the Palestinian Resistance's operation on October 7, prompting more than a dozen countries, including major donors, to suspend funding the agency.
On Monday, "Israel's" ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan claimed that UNRWA's work in Gaza was over, calling for the defunding and dismantling of the organization and accusing its staff of taking part in the October 7 events.
He stressed that the agency will "never again operate in Gaza," citing that its role is "finished and it must be replaced."
"UNRWA must be defunded and dismantled," he added.
Phillipe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, has reiterated that "Israel" provided no evidence against his former employees.
Lazzarini also told the UN General Assembly on Monday that dismantling UNRWA would sacrifice a "generation of children, sowing the seeds of hatred, resentment and future conflict."
UNRWA employees detained, tortured by Israeli army
Earlier, UNRWA accused the Israeli occupation forces of detaining "several of its staff from the Gaza Strip" who later reported experiences of torture and abuse while in custody.
"Our staff have reported atrocious events while they were detained and during interrogations by the Israeli authorities. These reports included torture, severe ill-treatment, abuse, and sexual exploitation," the UN Palestinian refugee agency said in a statement to AFP.
"Some of our staff have conveyed to UNRWA teams that they were forced to confessions under torture and ill-treatment" while being asked about the October 7 events.
"These forced confessions as a result of torture are being used by the Israeli authorities to further spread misinformation about the agency as part of attempts to dismantle UNRWA," the agency said.
"This is putting our staff in Gaza at risk and has serious implications on our operations in Gaza and around the region."
Read more: UNRWA to publish report accusing 'Israel' of abusing detained Gazans
