Israel’s UN ambassador announced on Friday that the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) must cease all operations and vacate its premises in Jerusalem by January 30, as outlined in controversial Israeli legislation.
Despite international objections, Israeli lawmakers passed a law prohibiting UNRWA from functioning within Israel and East Jerusalem, a sector annexed by Israel following the 1967 Six-Day War.
The agency, long a target of Israeli criticism, has faced heightened scrutiny since the war began, with allegations that 12 of its 13,000 Gaza-based employees were involved in the Hamas-led assault on October 7, 2023.
In a letter addressed to United Nations chief Antonio Guterres, Ambassador Danny Danon said, “UNRWA is required to cease its operations in Jerusalem and evacuate all premises in which it operates in the city, no later than 30 January 2025.”
The agency is widely regarded as the cornerstone of humanitarian efforts for Palestinians.
The agency supports nearly six million Palestinian refugees across Gaza, the occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria.
While East Jerusalem has long served as an administrative hub, UNRWA also operates schools and health clinics in the area.
Although Israel has enacted legislation barring its officials from engaging with UNRWA, the agency is not officially prohibited from operating in Gaza or the West Bank.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini cautioned that obstructing the agency’s operations could jeopardize the fragile Gaza ceasefire, further dashing the hopes of those who have endured immense suffering.
“UNRWA’s work must continue in Gaza and throughout the occupied Palestinian territories,” he emphasized on the social media platform X late Friday.
(AFP)
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