Human Rights Watch, an international human rights organization, called on Israeli authorities on Thursday to cease their destructive campaign against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
The organization demanded Israel withdraw a proposed Knesset bill aimed at preventing the key UN refugee agency from operating in the occupied Palestinian territories.
In a statement released on Thursday, Human Rights Watch emphasized that the proposed legislation would undermine UNRWA’s ability to provide humanitarian aid, education, and other essential services, particularly threatening aid to Gaza.
The statement highlighted that since October 2023, 226 UNRWA staff members have been killed in Gaza.
According to Wafa news agency, Human Rights Watch stressed that Israel should allow UNRWA and other humanitarian agencies to continue their work in Gaza, where the population faces famine due to Israeli authorities using starvation as a weapon of war.
The organization noted that using starvation as a weapon constitutes a war crime and urged governments, including the United States which has yet to resume its funding for UNRWA, to publicly support and fully fund UNRWA and to demand that Israel withdraw its bill.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini stated that the Middle East is going through a difficult time, with significant efforts underway to achieve a ceasefire and deliver aid. He described the situation in Gaza as horrific, where the area has become unlivable.
Lazzarini revealed that 200 UNRWA staff members have been killed, and the infrastructure has been severely damaged. He also expressed concern over the diminishing aid in Gaza and noted the growing humanitarian crisis in Lebanon, where over 1.2 million people have been displaced.
Widespread destruction has left critical infrastructure in ruins, and the health system is on the verge of collapse. Over 90% of Gaza’s population lacks access to essential services like food, water, and medical care. International aid organizations, including UNRWA, are struggling to provide assistance, with aid deliveries severely hampered by security challenges and limited access.
