Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit welcomed the final report from the independent review committee, appointed by the United Nations to investigate Israeli claims concerning the neutrality of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the alleged involvement of some of its staff in the attacks of October.
In a statement, Aboul Gheit expressed that the report, led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, conclusively disproves the baseless claims made by Israel without any solid evidence.
He emphasized that the allegations were part of a systematic campaign aimed at discrediting and ultimately dismantling UNRWA, which plays a pivotal role in supporting and employing approximately six million Palestinians.
Aboul Gheit urged the countries that had withheld funding from UNRWA based on these unfounded Israeli allegations to reconsider their stance in light of the irrefutable findings of the review committee. This includes details from UNRWA’s own credible internal investigation into the Israeli claims.
Arab League’s secretary general added that revising their position, especially by the US—the largest contributor to the UN agency’s budget—is a humanitarian necessity and a moral obligation towards the millions of Palestinians.
It is essential to note that since the escalation of conflict in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military has tightened its siege on the area, cutting off essential supplies like water, food, medicine, electricity, and fuel to the 2.3 million Palestinians living there under dire conditions.
A total of 160 of UNRWA’s facilities in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed.
Speaking at a press conference at the UN headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, Lazzarini highlighted the dire circumstances in Gaza and the significant destruction of the operational infrastructure.
Lazzarini welcomed the recent restart of funding by several countries, ensuring that the agency has sufficient funds to continue its operations until the end of June.
