UN chief says UNRWA 'indispensable', irreplaceable after Israeli ban
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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres underlines the grave mistake committed by the Israeli occupation by banning UNRWA.
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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attends the Outreach/BRICS Plus format session at the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, Thursday, October 24, 2024 (AP)
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Monday that the Israeli occupation newly approved law banning the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) from operating within its borders and occupied east al-Quds could lead to "devastating consequences for Palestine refugees in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which is unacceptable.”
"There is no alternative to UNRWA," he said. "The implementation of these laws would be detrimental for the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and for peace and security in the region as a whole."
The Secretary-General further pledged to bring the issue before the UN General Assembly, the United Nation's main body.
The Israeli Parliament, known as the Knesset, passed a law on Monday prohibiting the UNRWA from working in "Israel," further hindering its efforts to aid the Palestinians in the war-torn Gaza Strip.
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.
The restriction does not include operations in the Palestinian territory or abroad. UNRWA employs tens of thousands and provides education, health care, and humanitarian assistance to several million Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.
UNRWA and 'terrorism'
"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.
Another lawmaker, Boaz Bismuth alleged that "if you really want stability, if you really want security, if you want real peace in the Middle East, organizations like UNRWA won't bring you there."
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."
The foreign ministers of the United Kingdom and six other nations expressed in a joint statement issued by the UK Foreign Office on Sunday that "we, the Foreign Ministers of Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom, express our grave concern over legislation currently under consideration by the Israeli Knesset, aimed at revoking the privileges and immunities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East [UNRWA], forbidding any contact between Israeli state entities, officials and UNRWA, and prohibiting any UNRWA presence within Israel."
The foreign ministers warned that the absence of UNRWA's operations would significantly disrupt humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stated that UNRWA workers need to be held accountable for what he alleged were "terrorist activities", having the audacity to claim there must be humanitarian aid allowed into Gaza now and in the future, despite being the very person responsible for the blocking of aid for over 3 weeks from northern Gaza.
The US, on its end, has allegedly made it clear to the occupation that it is "deeply concerned" by the law to prohibit the operations of UNRWA, as it plays an "irreplaceable role" in aid delivery in Gaza.
