UN Official: Israel Banning UNRWA Will Be Disastrous

Jan. 30—Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner general of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, told the UN Secuity Council on Jan. 28 that Israel’s banning the UNRWA—which goes into effect Jan. 30—will be a disaster for the Palestinians. “At stake is the fate of millions of Palestinians, the ceasefire, and the prospects for a political solution that brings lasting peace and security,” he said.

“Across the Gaza Strip, Palestinians are turning to UNRWA—the Agency they have known all their lives—for support. Curtailing our operations now—outside a political process, and when trust in the international community is so low—will undermine the ceasefire. It will sabotage Gaza’s recovery and political transition,” he continued.

“In Gaza, undermining UNRWA’s operations will compromise the international humanitarian response…. The Government of Israel claims that UNRWA’s services can be transferred to other entities. In fact, the Agency’s mandate to provide public-like services to an entire population is unique. Our capacity to directly provide primary healthcare for millions of Palestinians, and to resume education for hundreds of thousands of children, far exceeds that of any other entity. These services can only be transferred to a functioning state.”

He noted that Israel is running a relentless campaign to portray UNRWA as a terrorist organization. “The political attacks on the Agency are motivated by the desire to strip Palestinians of their refugee status, thereby unilaterally changing the long-established parameters for a political solution. The objective is to deny Palestine Refugees the right to self-determination and erase their history and identity,” Lazzarini charged.

The only proper way to end the UNRWA’s mandate, Lazzarini said, is through a political process that leads to the establishment of a Palestinian State that can take over the services that have been historically been provided by UNRWA, particularly in education and health care. UNRWA, he said, “is essential for ensuring a viable political transition.”

Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia called on the U.S. to exert pressure on Israel to lift its ban on the UNRWA. “Israel would not dare to defy the international community and violate international law so unabashedly if it weren’t for absolute and unconditional military and economic support from the U.S. Throughout the 15 months of escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Washington has supplied Israel with weapons used to kill Palestinian civilians and didn’t give a pass to any UN Security Council decisions that would have prevented Israel from implementing its plans regarding Gaza,” he said in his statement to the Security Council briefing of UNRWA.

He went on: “The U.S. has also blocked any attempts to craft any collective UNSC measures to defend UNRWA. Therefore, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the blame for what is happening around the Agency lies fully with the U.S. According to the U.S., Israel has the right to shut down UNRWA office in Jerusalem. How is this consistent with international law, I wonder? The answer is that it is not. This is a clear example of the so-called ‘rules-based international order’ … We call on our colleagues in Washington to make a right decision and exert pressure on West Jerusalem to avoid further sufferings of Palestinians,” he stressed.

The Trump Administration instead sided with Israel. “It is Israel’s sovereign decision to close UNRWA’s offices in Jerusalem on January 30. The United States supports the implementation of this decision,” U.S. chargé d’affaires ad interim Dorothy Shea said.

Since the ceasefire went into effect in Gaza earlier this month, UNRWA has handled the bulk of the distribution of nearly 6,000 truckloads of desperately needed food, water, and other humanitarian supplies. Sources on the scene, say that Hamas has cooperated with this effort, but cannot take over the distribution. "If the IDF kicks UNRWA out, halting for example food distribution," said a source with contacts on the ground in Gaza, " it could trigger a violent response that would imperil the ceasefire."