The United Kingdom, France and Germany reiterate “serious concern” concerning Israeli law prohibiting contact between its officials and the United Nations Agency.
The forced closure by Israel of the United Nations humanitarian work on Palestinian territory would endanger the cease-fire in progress between Israel and Hamas, warned the Palestinian UN (UNRWA) rescue agency of the ban.
UNRWA has since seven decades of essential assistance and assistance to Palestinian refugees.
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini described the organization as “a rescue buoy” for nearly six million Palestinian refugees under his charge in Gaza and in the occupied West Bank.
Israel accused UNRWA of providing coverage in Hamas, an allegation that the agency firmly denied. He also accused UNRWA staff members of the October 7 attack. Israel did not provide proof of his demands and accusations.
Subsequently, he adopted legislation breaking the links with the agency, which entered into force Thursday, a decision likely to hinder its vital services after 15 months of war in Gaza.
The agency is prohibited to operate on Israeli soil and contacts between IT and Israeli officials are also prohibited.
“If UNRWA is not allowed to continue to bring and distribute supplies, then the fate of this very fragile ceasefire will be in danger and will be in danger,” said Juliette Touma, director of communications for UNRWA, a press in Geneva Briefing in Geneva Briefing on Friday.
UNRWA has issued the warning while the United Kingdom, France and Germany reiterated their “serious concern” concerning the ban on Israel.
“We urge the government of Israel to work with international partners, including the UN, to ensure the continuity of operations,” said the joint declaration of the three nations, published by the British government.
In a statement, UNRWA spokesperson Jonathan Fowler admitted that the organization was now operating in a “nightmare scenario”.
Fowler said that UNRWA has 5,000 employees still working in Gaza as “the backbone of the international aid operation” and that their work can be compromised by the situation.
“Our greatest fear is that there is no plan B,” he said.
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN chief Antonio Guterres, previously insisted that despite the ban, “UNRWA clinics through occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are open.”
Gabriel Elizondo d’Tel Aviv Tribune, postponing from the UN head office to New York, said that UNRWA’s work continues, Israel has not renewed visas for at least a dozen workers from the agency .
After the entry into force of the law, Norway announced that it would contribute $ 24 million to the agency.
“Gaza is in ruins, and the help of UNRWA is more necessary than ever,” said Norwegian Foreign Affairs Minister Espen Barth Eide.
Turkiye condemned the Israeli movement as “a blatant violation of international law” and declared that it “marks a new phase in the Policy of Occupation and annexation of Israel to force the Palestinians on force of their own land ».
Wednesday, the Supreme Court of Israel rejected a petition from the Palestinian Human Rights Group, Adalah, by contesting the prohibition, but noted that the legislation only prohibits UNRWA operations on “The Sovereign territory of the State of Israel ”, not in Gaza and in the West Bank which it occupied.
However, the ban applies to Israeli East Jerusalem-East Jerusalem, where UNRWA has a registered office for its West Bank operations.
In response, Adalah said that the law would come into force “without taking into account catastrophic humanitarian consequences”.
