Israel’s parliament passed a bill on Monday banning UNRWA from operating in Israel, which would eventually affect its work in the Gaza Strip, the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Russia has said that Israel’s decision to ban the activities of the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) violates international law, while the Arab League calls for an urgent session of the UN General Assembly to discuss the move.
“The adoption of these bills (by Israel’s parliament) not only violates international law, including UN General Assembly decisions and the UN Charter, but also contradicts the conditions for Israel’s admission to the UN,” said a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry, cited by the Anadolu news agency.
💬 #Nebenzia: @UNRWA is on the brink of complete dismantlement, as yesterday the Knesset adopted bills banning its work and revoking all immunities for its staff.
⚠️ Suspending its operation would have the most corrosive repercussions both for the region and for the UN system. pic.twitter.com/gzNfLIDPR3
— Russia at the United Nations (@RussiaUN) October 29, 2024
The statement said that once they have entered into force, the adopted bills will become “another form of collective punishment for millions of Palestinians for whom UNRWA was and remains” the only source of support in terms of humanitarian assistance, health care and social services.
On Monday, Israeli lawmakers voted 92-10 in favor of a law barring UNRWA from conducting “any activity” inside Israeli territory, and 87-9 in favor of another bill that restricts the agency’s activities in the Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank.
Russia said the decision to adopt the bills was made against the backdrop of “unprecedented bloodshed” in the region.
“As a result of the Israeli military operation, the Gaza Strip has turned into a continuous war zone over the past year, with the most intense bombing of civilians since World War II and virtually no humanitarian access,” it said, noting that more than 650,000 Palestinian children will be deprived of an education.
Accusations Against UNRWA
It also argued that while Israel and the US justify their decisions against UNRWA by accusing its employees of being complicit in the Resistance operation of October 7, 2023, the Israeli side has still not provided evidence to support its claims, despite a number of UN requests.
“An independent review and internal audit of the agency’s activities revealed no violations and confirmed compliance with the principle of neutrality,” the statement said.
It said that Moscow supports UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini’s calls for Israel to comply with its international obligations and to not put the bills concerned into effect.
“The Russian side will continue to make efforts at the UN Security Council and General Assembly to protect the Agency’s mandate in the interests of continuing its unique work in providing assistance to Palestinians both in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and in neighboring Arab countries,” it added.
Arab League Request
The Arab League meanwhile called for the passage of a UN resolution opposing Israel’s move to ban UNRWA from operating in the country.
The initiative came during an extraordinary session of the Arab League Council at the level of permanent representatives in Cairo following a request by Jordan to discuss the Arab response to the Knesset’s decision.
“There are no other organisations that can take on the load UNRWA has been performing over the past 75 years,” Sam Rose to @AJ.
From educating generations of Palestinians to providing 5 million annual health consultations in Gaza, only @UNRWA has the staff and the systems in… pic.twitter.com/yCQRDP4bSf
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) October 31, 2024
The Council said, “The representatives of Arab countries in New York coordinate with the ambassadors and representatives of friendly countries and the UN Secretariat to request a special session of the UN General Assembly, as it is the body that issued the decision to establish UNRWA, to discuss the repercussions of this serious Israeli law and to issue a UN resolution rejecting this illegal Israeli measure.”
It also called on “the Arab Parliament, the parliaments of Arab countries, and the Inter-Parliamentary Union to act by pressuring the Israeli Knesset to repeal the decision to halt UNRWA’s operations, considering that this decision constitutes a clear and direct violation of international norms and agreements, and to study steps to suspend the Knesset’s membership in the Inter-Parliamentary Union.”
The league emphasized in its decision the necessity of “continuing to provide the necessary political and financial support to UNRWA so that it can continue to fulfill its role according to its UN mandate in its five areas of operations,” which are Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
On Tuesday, Jordan formally asked the pan-Arab bloc to hold an emergency meeting to discuss a collective response to the Knesset’s legislation.
(Anadolu, PC)
