UN Security Council Urges Protection of UNRWA Amid Zionist Threats to Humanitarian Operations
All members of the UN Security Council who spoke during a recent session unanimously called for “Israel” to respect the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and to protect its staff.
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini raised alarms about the agency’s precarious situation, stating, “Senior “Israeli” officials have described destroying UNRWA as a war goal.” He highlighted the grave impact of ongoing violence, noting that 226 UNRWA personnel have been killed in the past 12 months.
Lazzarini warned that “legislation to end our operations is ready for final adoption by the “Israeli Knesset”,” which seeks to ban UNRWA’s presence and operations in “Israel”. He emphasized that such legislation would revoke the agency’s privileges and immunities, constituting a violation of international law. “If the bills are adopted, the consequences will be severe,” he cautioned, adding that the entire humanitarian response in Gaza, reliant on UNRWA’s infrastructure, may disintegrate.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also voiced concerns, stating that he had written to Netanyahu warning that the proposed legislation “could prevent UNRWA from continuing its essential work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
The Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, expressed strong support for UNRWA, stating, “We totally support UNRWA and what Lazzarini said and take it very seriously, and honor what is a very indispensable organization that should be protected by all means.” Mansour further emphasized the significance of UNRWA, calling it “the greatest success story in the history of the United Nations.” Established in 1949, UNRWA was created to provide support to Palestinian refugees across several countries.
