UN agency for Palestinian refugees urges world to save it from Israeli ban

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The caput of nan U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees urged nan world Wednesday to prevention it from an Israeli ban that would person “disastrous consequences” for millions of group caught up successful nan warfare successful Gaza.

Philippe Lazzarini, who heads nan agency known arsenic UNRWA, told nan 193 nations of nan U.N. General Assembly that they must return action to forestall Israel from implementing authorities that prohibits nan agency’s operations successful nan Palestinian territories. The laws, adopted by Israel’s parliament past month, return effect successful 90 days.

UNRWA was established by nan General Assembly successful 1949 to supply alleviation for Palestinians who fled aliases were expelled from their homes earlier and during nan 1948 Arab-Israeli warfare that followed Israel’s establishment, arsenic good arsenic their descendants, until location is simply a governmental solution to nan Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

UNRWA has been nan main agency distributing humanitarian assistance successful nan Gaza Strip, wherever almost nan full organization of astir 2.3 cardinal Palestinians relies connected assistance for endurance amid Israel’s more than yearlong warfare pinch Hamas. Experts opportunity hunger is rampant.

Assembly President Philemon nan told members astatine Wednesday’s informal gathering that Israel’s authorities “constitutes an intolerable affront to nan authority of this assembly, an affront to world rule and, astir importantly, an affront to nan quality dignity of guiltless Palestinian civilians.”

Yang said nan assembly extended UNRWA’s instruction — astir precocious successful December 2022 — by an overwhelming mostly until June 30, 2026. He urgently called connected Israel to comply pinch its world ineligible obligations, nan U.N. Charter and U.N. resolutions.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has many times said location is nary replacement to UNRWA, and nan stressed that a halt to its activities “would exacerbate an already catastrophic humanitarian situation.”

Israel alleges that astir a twelve of UNRWA’s 13,000 unit successful Gaza participated successful nan Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks successful confederate Israel that sparked nan warfare successful Gaza. It precocious provided nan U.N. pinch complete 100 names of UNRWA unit it claims person militant ties.

The agency denies it knowingly immunodeficiency equipped groups and says it acts quickly to purge immoderate suspected militants among its staff. Lazzarini said nan U.N. has asked Israel for specifications truthful it tin analyse but has received nary response.

Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon reiterated Israeli accusations that UNRWA is riddled pinch supporters of Hamas and educates Palestinian children to “hate.” He stressed that Gaza’s early cannot see Hamas aliases UNRWA.

Sitting adjacent to released Israeli hostage Mia Schem, he powerfully criticized nan General Assembly and each different U.N. bodies for failing to condemn Hamas aliases to clasp a azygous convention dedicated to nan hostages.

Riyad Mansour, nan Palestinian U.N. ambassador, echoed calls for countries to enactment collectively to prevention UNRWA, accusing Israel of an “open assault” against nan agency partially aimed astatine stripping Palestinians of their exile position and rights.

“As we stitchery here, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are facing imminent death,” he said of bluish Gaza.

Acting U.N. humanitarian main Joyce Msuya said Tuesday that bluish Gaza has been nether “a near-total sadistic siege” for nan past period and Palestinian civilians are starving while nan world watches.

“These atrocities must stop,” Msuya said successful a posting connected X. “Israeli subject crushed operations person near Palestinians without nan essentials to survive, forced them to fly for information aggregate times, and trim disconnected their flight and proviso routes.”

Lebanon’s U.N. Ambassador Hadi Hachem, speaking connected behalf of nan U.N.’s 22-member Arab Group, called connected nan General Assembly to face Israel’s “dangerous precedent” and return urgent measures to take sides UNRWA and uphold world law.