Israel UNRWA ban will undermine Gaza ceasefire, Security Council hears
- 2025-01-28 12:00
United Nations, Jan 28 (IANS) The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday heard that Israel’s decision to ban 24 international staff members of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) would undermine the fragile ceasefire in Gaza.
“The recent Israeli decision to revoke the visas of 24 international staff members of UNRWA is extremely troubling and must be rescinded,” UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov told the Council.
“This decision will disrupt the UNRWA’s ability to provide essential services to 1.3 million refugees in Gaza, including food assistance, healthcare, education and sanitation,” he said. “This action will further undermine the trust necessary to achieve peace between Israelis and Palestinians.”
Mladenov said the Israeli government has not provided any evidence to support its allegations that the staff members are linked to terrorist groups. “If there is any evidence that an individual has violated Israeli law, such evidence should be presented so that proper legal proceedings can take place,” he said.
“In the meantime, the Israeli government must immediately rescind the ban on the UNRWA staff members and allow them to return to their work,” he said.
The Israeli government has accused the UNRWA staff members of being members of Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza. Hamas has denied the allegations.
The Security Council meeting was called at the request of the Palestinian Authority, which said the Israeli ban was a “blatant violation” of international law.
“This decision is a clear attempt to intimidate and silence UNRWA, which is the only UN agency dedicated to the protection and assistance of Palestinian refugees,” said Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki.
“The Israeli government is trying to deflect attention from its own crimes against the Palestinian people,” he said. “We call on the Security Council to condemn this decision and to take action to ensure that UNRWA is able to continue its vital work.”
The United States, which is a close ally of Israel, said it was “deeply concerned” about the Israeli decision.
“We have made clear to the Israeli government that we believe this decision was a mistake and that it should be reversed,” said US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley.
“UNRWA plays a vital role in providing humanitarian assistance to Palestinian refugees,” she said. “We urge the Israeli government to reconsider its decision and to allow UNRWA staff to continue their important work.”
The Security Council did not take any action on the issue at Tuesday’s meeting. However, diplomats said the Council is likely to continue to discuss the matter in the coming days.
Israel UNRWA ban will undermine Gaza ceasefire, Security Council hears
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