In a recent UN Security Council meeting, members issued a stern warning to Israel regarding proposed legislation that could significantly restrict the operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, expressed deep concerns on Wednesday about the Israeli bill that aims to alter the legal status of UNRWA, potentially impacting its global operations.
Thomas-Greenfield stated that if passed, these laws would “hinder communication with Israeli officials and revoke the privileges and immunities granted to UN organizations and their staff worldwide.”
The meeting was urgently called by Algeria and Slovenia due to escalating tensions in the Gaza Strip. Algeria’s UN Ambassador, Ammar Benjama, remarked, “Israeli authorities have long expressed their desire and readiness to dismantle UNRWA, a symbol of Palestinian refugees and their inalienable rights.”
All members who spoke at the Security Council meeting urged Israel to respect UNRWA’s work and ensure the safety of its staff.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, warned that senior Israeli officials have described the destruction of UNRWA as a war objective.
He noted the troubling statistic that 226 UNRWA employees were killed over the past 12 months.
Lazzarini also mentioned that legislation aimed at ending UNRWA’s operations is poised for final approval in the Israeli Knesset.
Israel’s stance is controversial, as it accuses some UNRWA staff members of participating in an unprecedented attack by Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which led to renewed conflict in Gaza.
The proposed Israeli legislation seeks to prohibit UNRWA’s presence and operations in Israeli territories and cancel its privileges and immunities, actions that would contravene international law.
The United Nations’ senior humanitarian official in Gaza, Jonathan Whittall, described the past year as “a year of destruction, displacement, and despair.” He stated, “Gaza has been completely devastated.”
