The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Wednesday “strongly warned against any attempts to dismantle or diminish” the operations and mandate of the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA after Israel passed a law banning its operations.
In a statement adopted by consensus, the 15-member body expressed grave concern over the legislation adopted by the Israeli Parliament on Monday, which is due to come into effect in 90 days and has sparked international condemnation.
The council urged Israel “to abide by its international obligations, respect the privileges and immunities of UNRWA and live up to its responsibility to allow and facilitate full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian assistance in all its forms into and throughout the entire Gaza Strip.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said Israel’s ban on UNRWA, if implemented, would violate international law, the founding UN Charter and a 1946 UN convention on the diplomatic privileges and immunities granted to UN operations.
UNSC warns against attempts
UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini warned that the organization’s aid operations in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip were now at risk of collapse because of the new law.
The Security Council “underscored that UNRWA remains the backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza” and said that no other organization can replace UNRWA’s ability to serve Palestinians in need of life-saving humanitarian assistance.
The move by Israel comes as the amount of aid entering Gaza has plummeted to its lowest level all year, according to UN data.
A global hunger monitor has warned of a looming famine, and the UN has repeatedly accused Israel of hindering and blocking attempts to deliver aid, particularly to Gaza’s north. Israel began a wide military offensive in northern Gaza earlier this month.
The United States has said it was watching to ensure that its ally’s actions on the ground show it does not have a “policy of starvation” in the north.
Israel has said there is not a lack of aid in Gaza and accused Hamas of hijacking the humanitarian assistance.
Hamas has repeatedly denied Israeli allegations that it was stealing aid and says Israel is to blame for shortages. UNRWA provides education, health and other aid to millions of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
It has long had tense relations with Israel, but ties have deteriorated sharply since the start of the war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in Gaza in October 2023. Israel has accused some UNRWA staff of also being Hamas militants.
The UN said in August that nine UNRWA staff may have been involved in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, and had been fired.
Later, a Hamas commander in Lebanon – killed in an Israeli strike – was found to have had an UNRWA job.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that Israel “remains committed to international law and to ensuring the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza, through international organisations that are free of terrorist activity. There are alternatives to UNRWA,” it said in an X post.
The Security Council “underscored the importance to take timely measures to address any credible allegations and to ensure accountability for any violations of the agency’s policies related to the principle of neutrality.The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has issued a strong warning against any attempts to dismantle the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
The council emphasized the critical role UNRWA plays in supporting Palestinian refugees and maintaining stability in the region. Efforts to undermine or disrupt the agency’s work could have severe humanitarian and security consequences. The UNSC urged member states to continue supporting UNRWA and highlighted the necessity of collective international efforts to uphold the agency’s mission and services.
Source: SABC
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