Israel’s Moves to Block UNRWA-Signs of Uncertainty for Affected Palestinians – World Issues
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 05 (IPS) – The decision of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, to adopt two laws that will significantly reduce or completely block UNRWA has the potential to set a dangerous precedent, where countries can simply create their own reasons to block the law. activities of the United Nations, even if it violates its obligations under international humanitarian law. Even if the whole world condemns this act, in Israel, this has been a long time coming and they are unlikely to back down.
Before the laws were adopted on October 28, fifty-two humanitarian organizations around the world, such as Human Rights Watch, Oxfam and ActionAid, issued a joint statement calling on world leaders to defend UNRWA and “use all means of communication” to prevent the rule is not to enter. to pass. These organizations also criticized Israel’s actions during the ongoing war in Gaza since October 2023.
“These actions are part of a broader strategy by the Israeli government to delegitimize UNRWA, undermine its support for Palestinian refugees, and undermine the international legal framework that protects their rights, including the right of return,” the statement read.
What seems certain is that the more than 2 million people in Gaza will face even greater hardship if UNRWA is no longer able to provide aid and public services. Although the Knesset’s new law only applies to UNRWA in Israel and the occupied territories, this suggests that it may have a wider impact on Palestinian society.
The Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Phillipe Lazzarini, in a statement released on X (formerly Twitter) said that these loans will only increase the suffering of the Palestinian people and that they are “nothing but collective punishment.”
Michael Omer-Man, Director of Research for Democracy in the Arab World Now (DAWN), says “it is difficult to understand the scope of the downstream effects of Palestinian refugees everywhere.”
Speaking to IPS, Omer-Man warned that the Knesset’s new laws could be the first of many in the future to create a legal framework for Israeli-Palestinian relations. Israel’s campaign against UNRWA has been going on for decades now, as it has repeatedly stated that UNRWA is a terrorist organization and deeply under the influence of Hamas. The current war in Gaza is condoned by the Israeli public as a way to end the famine of Palestinian refugees in the region. Israel has alleged that at least a dozen UNRWA workers were involved in a terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
As a United Nations agency with mandate from the General Assembly established in 1949, UNRWA is heavily funded by other member states, although it has been experiencing funding shortfalls for the past decade. This is despite the agreement between Israel and UNRWA established in 1967, in which Israel was committed to continuing the work of UNRWA. Without the existence of an organization to meet the needs of the people of Gaza, it should be up to Israel, as the governing power, to take that responsibility.
As revealed by Chris Sidoti, commissioner of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, there is something strange about this UNRWA ban, because this organization has saved Israel billions of dollars. taxpayers’ money that could go towards providing essential aid and services to the Palestinian community.
In fact, it is unlikely that Israel can take on that responsibility now. However, if we think that Israel will cooperate and take a direct hand in providing aid and services to Gaza and the West Bank, it would not be a popular move among its citizens. Omer-Man said that among other members of the government there is a fear that its citizens will face difficult situations, given these reasons for fighting the war, as it is said that Gaza will be forced to starve and dry. A reversal of that status may be seen as a betrayal. Any economic pressure placed on Israel to comply with international law will not reverse the war situation or sway public opinion.
This was only reinforced when Israel sent a letter to the President of the General Assembly over the weekend, announcing its intention to withdraw from its 1967 agreement with UNRWA immediately. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters on Monday that as of now UNRWA continues to work.
After the new law was passed, several countries criticized the act, with a coalition of 52 countries and two organizations, including Türkiye, China, Russia, Brazil and Saudi Arabia, issued a complaint to the Security Council to enact the law. arms embargo on Israel.
The UN ambassador in New York, Danny Danon, said Israel “will continue to help people in Gaza in accordance with international law.” He went on to say that other UN agencies, the World Food Program (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) will be able to take charge of providing aid in the way that UNRWA has. Israel’s letter to the General Assembly also reiterates this claim, noting in it that they will continue to “ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza in a manner that does not compromise Israel’s security”.
This has been opposed by the UN and its agencies, which have repeatedly stated that there is no alternative for UNRWA. They and other humanitarian organizations have argued that few other groups have as much expertise in navigating the Palestinian territories as UNRWA. They warn that the ban on UNRWA will create further obstacles in dealing with what has become a serious humanitarian problem in Gaza.
Despite the confirmation of Israeli officials, this raises the question of whether this should mean that other UN organizations and aid groups will not be targeted or purged, in the same way as UNRWA since the beginning of the war last October.
Since the start of the war, approximately 200 UNRWA facilities have been damaged or completely destroyed by repeated attacks, targeting and shelling by the IDF. 237 UNRWA workers were killed. Apart from this, there have also been incidents of aid or vehicles bearing the symbols of groups such as WFP being shot by Israeli forces, forcing the targeted groups to temporarily suspend their activities due to security concerns.
“What I can take from this…is that they want a minimum solution to keep people alive to make sure they look like they are doing enough to comply with international humanitarian law,” Omer-Man said.
Laws to ban UNRWA will go into effect in January 2025. Israel’s Foreign Ministry said “UNRWA is part of the problem in Gaza—not part of the solution,” and “says there is no other way to solve the problem.” UNRWA has no foundation.”
“Despite the many evidences we have given to the UN showing the influence of Hamas over UNRWA, no steps have been taken to acknowledge or change the situation. As I have emphasized many times, UNRWA is under the control of Hamas in Gaza. Israel will continue its cooperation with aid organizations but not and those who work for Israel in terrorism,” said Danon.
Suffice it to say, Israel’s actions are contrary to its obligations under international law. Not to mention Israel’s actions in the current war, as the IDF’s operation in northern Gaza has devastated the area and left the humanitarian response on the ground in tatters. It also challenges the decades-old Palestinian question and the two-state solution that the international community wants to work towards.
Israel’s actions in the past weeks only show, as Omer-Man warned, that instead of answering the question, they want to erase the question, to dissolve it.
IPS UN Bureau Report
Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
Follow IPS News UN Bureau on Instagram
© Inter Press Service (2024) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service
