UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the allegations against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) are false and completely intolerable, calling on Washington to take a stronger stance to push Israel to stop its war on the Gaza Strip.
In a special interview with Tel Aviv Tribune, Guterres expressed his pride in all the efforts made to save UNRWA and re-establish its international credibility, expressing his happiness at the resumption of countries’ support for the agency after they had temporarily suspended it.
He stressed that UNRWA remains the backbone of humanitarian support for the people of Gaza, noting that the UN Security Council has failed to put an end to the most intense conflicts today in Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine.
Guterres asked the United States to take a stronger stance towards Israel to ensure the end of the war, and stressed the need to exert pressure on Washington to push Tel Aviv to stop the war and recognize that the two-state solution must not be undermined.
The UN Secretary-General expressed his concern about the systematic policy of many in the Israeli government to undermine the two-state solution through settlements, adding, “We must categorically reject settlements, land seizures, and any annexation of the West Bank.”
He pointed out that the International Court of Justice confirmed that the Israeli occupation is illegal, but he added, “We are witnessing impunity and a continued violation of the United Nations Charter and international law.”
However, Guterres expressed his confidence in international justice, saying, “The international community must work to ensure that the decisions of the International Court of Justice are respected,” and expressed his support for the work of international courts, saying that they represent the correct way to hold people accountable.