The members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council reacted to the decisions taken by the Israeli parliament regarding the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) with a joint statement.
The 15 members of the UN Security Council issued a joint statement following the Israeli parliament’s approval of draft laws that would end the activities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in the country and restrict its activities in Gaza and the West Bank.
The statement expressed deep concern about the decisions taken by the Israeli parliament regarding UNRWA, and called on the Israeli administration to comply with its international obligations and to respect the privileges and immunities enjoyed by UNRWA.
The non-binding statement, which was also supported by the US, emphasized UNRWA’s vital role in providing aid to Palestinians in Gaza. The statement, which stated that UNRWA was “the backbone of all humanitarian assistance” in the region, drew attention to the fact that there was no organization that could replace UNRWA in the midst of war.
The statement said, “The members of the UN Security Council strongly warn against any attempt to eliminate or restrict the activities and powers of UNRWA and state that any interruption or suspension of UNRWA’s activities would have grave humanitarian consequences for millions of Palestinian refugees who need its services and would also have repercussions on the region.”
The statement said, “The members of the Security Council request all parties to enable UNRWA to carry out its work in accordance with the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality and independence in all areas of activity within the scope of its mandate granted by the UN General Assembly and to respect international humanitarian law, including the protection of UN and humanitarian aid facilities.”
The Security Council called on Israel to “comply with its international obligations and respect UNRWA’s privileges and immunities
UNRWA, with its thousands of staff, provides education, health and relief services to millions of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini had warned that UNRWA’s humanitarian activities in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip were on the verge of collapse because of the new law.
