NEW YORK CITY: The UN Security Council on Wednesday expressed “grave concern” over the Israeli parliament’s decision to approve a law banning the operations of the UN’s main aid agency for Palestinians.
Council members “strongly” warned against any attempts to dismantle or diminish the operations and mandate of the agency, and said any interruption to or suspension of its work would have severe humanitarian consequences for millions of Palestinian refugees who depend on the services it provides, and could also have implications for the entire region.
The Knesset on Monday approved legislation that prevents the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees from operating in Israel or areas under its control. The ban is set to take effect in 90 days and force the agency to close its offices and other facilities in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, and Gaza, effectively preventing it from fulfilling the mandate set out by the UN General Assembly in 1949.
Council members underscored the vital role of UNRWA in providing “life-saving” humanitarian assistance to refugees in occupied Palestinian territories, and those living other countries such as Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, not only through emergency aid but also the educational, health, relief and social services programs it offers.
The Security Council said the agency remains “the backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza” and stressed that no other organization can replace it or its capacity to help civilians in urgent need of life-saving assistance.
It urged the Israeli government “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, including the provision of sorely needed basic services to the civilian population.”
The agency has faced relentless attacks, on its reputation and its workers, by Israel since the war on Gaza began. About 200 of its employees have been killed in Israeli strikes. In January, Israeli authorities alleged that 12 UNRWA workers participated in the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas, resulting in several investigations including an independent review led by former French minister Catherine Colonna.
Her report in April concluded that Israel had failed to provide any evidence to back up the allegations. Yet the agency was thrown into crisis when the claims emerged, as the US, its single biggest funder, and several other major donors put funding of the organization on hold. In all, 16 UN member states suspended or paused donations and others imposed conditions on contributions, which placed the very future of the agency in doubt. Several subsequently restored their funding.
The Security Council noted that the agency had taken steps to terminate the employment of nine workers, and underscored the important need for “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.”
