The world condemns the Israeli occupation’s ban on UNRWA’s work

Occupied Al-Quds, (ST) – the Israeli occupation’s ban on the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has been met with widespread international and UN rejection, as it deprives the Palestinian people from obtaining humanitarian aid.

Through this dangerous step, the occupation aims at liquidating the refugee issue and the refugees’ right to return  in accordance with UN Resolution 194.

UNRWA serves 7 million Palestinian refugees

The Agency was established in accordance with UN Resolution No. 302 issued in December 1949, and it has  provided its relief, health and educational services to more than 7 million refugees in the occupied Palestinian territories and in the diaspora countries. The number of students registered in its schools exceeds 650 thousand.

The Agency also has 140 primary health care centers, and it receives more than 7 million cases annually. Its role has become prominent during the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza Strip for more than a year.

Palestinian Presidency: The goal is to liquidate the refugee issue and the right of return

The Palestinian Presidency condemned, through its spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the occupation’s ban on UNRWA’s work, stressing that the decision is contrary to international law and constitutes a challenge to the UN resolutions that represent international legitimacy.

Abu Rudeineh clarified that this decision is not only against the refugees, but also against the United Nations and the world that established UNRWA.

He referred that the occupation aims to liquidate the refugee issue and their right to return and compensation, which the Palestinian people will not allow.

Palestinian Foreign Ministry calls for holding “Israel” accountable

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry, for its part stressed that the occupation’s ban on “UNRWA” is an aggression against the Palestinian people, especially the refugees, and an attack on the United Nations and its specialized agencies. It expressed its hope to transform the widespread international rejection into measures to hold “Israel” accountable and protect international institutions.

Palestinian Resistance Movement: The ban is part of the aggression against the Palestinian people

The Palestinian resistance movement “Hamas” considered the Israeli move part of the war and aggression against the Palestinian people to liquidate their cause and the right of refugees to return, which requires the international community and the United Nations to take firm positions against the Zionist entity and provide support to UNRWA to ensure the continuation of its work in providing relief to the Palestinians, especially in light of the current Zionist genocide in the Gaza Strip.

Islamic Jihad: Insistence on genocide

In turn, the Islamic Jihad movement pointed out that the occupation’s ban on UNRWA is “insistence on the war of genocide and the criminal policies it is pursuing against the Palestinian people in all places where they exist.

It expressed its surprise and disapproval of the failure to expel the Zionist entity from the United Nations and all its institutions, after all the blatant violations of all its charters and its mockery of its decisions and its continuous insult to its institutions, including its Secretary-General.

Syria: Undermining Palestinian Rights

Syria condemned the illegal occupation measures that aim to undermine more Palestinian rights, especially the right of return, and to impose a policy of collective punishment against the Palestinian people, in conjunction with the continuation of war crimes, genocide and forced displacement committed by the Zionist entity every day against the Palestinians in full view of the entire world.

Syria warned of the disastrous consequences resulting from withholding humanitarian aid from the Palestinians in the occupied territories, and using it as a tool of war against them in another serious violation of their rights and international law and international humanitarian law, calling for support for the continuation of UNRWA’s work and its exercise of its important humanitarian role in providing assistance to the Palestinian people.

Lazzarini: Historic escalation

In turn, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini considered that preventing the agency’s activities in the occupied Palestinian territories represents an unprecedented historical escalation and constitutes a dangerous precedent, contradicts the UN Charter and violates “Israel’s” obligations under international law.

Lazzarini explained that this measure is the latest in the ongoing campaign to discredit UNRWA and delegitimize its role in providing development and humanitarian aid and services to Palestinian refugees.

World Health Organization: Devastating consequences of banning UNRWA

For his part, the Director of the World Health Organization, Tedros Ghebreyesus, warned that banning UNRWA would have devastating consequences. He said: “UNRWA was established by member states of the United Nations, and the Israeli decision to prevent it from carrying out its tasks will have devastating consequences.

“It is unacceptable and contradicts the obligations and duties of “Israel”, and threatens the people whose lives and health depend on this international organization”, he added.

The League of Arab States condemns the Israeli ban on UNRWA’s work in the occupied Palestinian territories

The League of Arab States condemned the occupation’s measure, which represents the latest episode in an ongoing plan that has been working on for years, to eliminate the agency’s role and attempt to destroy its international reputation and prevent its funding.

Jamal Rushdi, the official spokesman for the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, said: The decision is equivalent to the confiscation of the future of millions of Palestinians, and represents the latest episode in an ongoing plan that “Israel” has been implementing for years to eliminate the role of the agency, and to attempt to destroy its international reputation and dry up its sources of funding.”

Four European countries: Continue working to ensure the continuity of its work

Spain, Norway, Ireland and Slovenia also condemned the Israeli move in a joint statement, considering it a very dangerous precedent for the work of the United Nations and all organizations of the multilateral system.

The four countries said: UNRWA enjoys a mandate from the United Nations General Assembly, and its work is essential and indispensable for millions of Palestinian refugees in the region, especially in the current context in Gaza.

They stressed that they will continue to work with donor and host countries to ensure the continuity of UNRWA’s work and its humanitarian role.

Raghda Sawas