People walk past the damaged Gaza City headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) on February 15, 2024. AFP
UNRWA and the wider humanitarian response amid Israel's war on Gaza has been a flashpoint during the conflict, with Israeli authorities restricting aid flows into Gaza.
The Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in Israel's parliament, the Knesset, approved two bills on Sunday essentially aimed at ending UNRWA's activity and privileges in Israel. These bills were quickly condemned by UN chief Antonio Guterres.
Washington's envoy to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said Wednesday that the United States was "following with deep concern the Israeli legislative proposal that could alter UNRWA's legal status."
She said it risked "hindering its ability to communicate with Israeli officials and removing privileges and immunities afforded to UN organizations and personnel around the globe."
Algeria, which along with Slovenia called the emergency Security Council meeting on Israel's ongoing assaults in the Palestinian territories, said "for years, the Israeli authorities has made clear its desire, its will to dismantle UNRWA."
"It symbolizes the Palestinian refugees and their inviolable rights. We reiterate that the rights of Palestinian refugees are not subject to statutes of limitation," said Amar Bendjama, ambassador of non-permanent Security Council member Algeria.
UN's 'greatest success'
All UN Security Council members that spoke were unanimous in calling for Israel to respect UNRWA's work and to protect its staff.
"Senior Israeli officials have described destroying UNRWA as a war goal," UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini warned the Security Council, noting that 226 UNRWA personnel have been killed in 12 months.
"Legislation to end our operations is ready for final adoption by the Israeli Knesset."
"It seeks to ban UNRWA's presence and operations in the territory of Israel, revoking its privileges and immunities, in violation of international law."
"If the bills are adopted, the consequences will be severe. Operationally, the entire humanitarian response in Gaza -- which rests on UNRWA's infrastructure -- may disintegrate."
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday that he had written to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning the legislation "could prevent UNRWA from continuing its essential work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory."
The Palestinian ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour told the Security Council that "we totally support UNRWA and what Lazzarini said and take it very seriously, and honor what is a very indispensable organization that should be protected by all means."
"It is the greatest success story in the history of the United Nations," Mansour said.
UNRWA was created in 1949 to support Palestinian refugees across several countries after they were violently displaced in the Nakba with the creation of Israel.
The agency saw funding cuts earlier this year after Israel accused more than a dozen of its 13,000 Gaza employees of involvement in the events on 7 October.
A series of probes, including one led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna, found some "neutrality-related issues" at UNRWA but stressed that Israel had not provided evidence for its chief allegations.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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