“That is why I wrote directly to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express my deep concerns about the draft law. that can be prevented UNRWA from continuing its essential work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” He speak in Security Council track in New York.
He said that such a measure would stifle efforts to reduce suffering and tensions in Gaza and the entire Occupied Palestinian Territories, warning that “it would be a disaster where it is already an unmitigated disaster.”
UNRWA’s indispensable role in humanitarian response
UNRWA was established more than 70 years ago and supports Palestinian refugees in five locations across the Middle East. The draft law seeks to expel the agency from its bases in Israeli-controlled territories and revoke its privileges and immunities.
The development comes as the war in Gaza enters its “brutal, disgusting second year” and amid the risk of wider escalation in the region.
Operationally, the law – if passed by the Knesset – would likely deal a terrible blow to the international humanitarian response there, Guterres said.
He explained that because UNRWA’s activities were integral to that response, isolating one UN agency from others was not feasible.
Aid and service delivery are at risk
“It would effectively end coordination to protect UN convoys, offices and shelters serving hundreds of thousands of people,” he said.
The provision of food, shelter and health care “will stagnate” without UNRWA, while 600,000 children “will lose the only entity that can restart their education, endangering their lives.” fate of an entire generation”.
Furthermore, many health, education and social services will also end up in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Potential obstacles to peace efforts
Mr. Guterres said that if passed, the law would be completely contrary UN Charter and violates Israel’s obligations under international law that cannot be altered by national law.
“And Politically, such a law would be a huge obstacle to sustainable peace efforts and a two-state solution. – causes even more instability and insecurity,” he added.
Nowhere is safe in Gaza
The draft law was introduced at a time when the situation in Gaza was falling into a “death spiral”. The Secretary-General drew attention to the north, which he said had seen a clear intensification of Israeli military activities.
He said residential areas were attacked, hospitals were ordered to evacuate and electricity was cut off with no fuel or commercial goods allowed in. In addition, about 400,000 people were once again forced to move south, to an overcrowded, polluted and insecure area. basic for survival.
“The conclusion is clear: there is something fundamentally wrong with the way this war is being fought. Ordering civilians to evacuate does not keep them safe if they have no safe place to go and no shelter, food, medicine or drinking water.,” he said, adding “nowhere is safe in Gaza and no one is safe.”
UNRWA staff distribute food to displaced families in Deir Al-Balah, Gaza.
Promote international law
Stressing that international law is ambiguous, the Secretary-General affirmed that civilians everywhere must be respected and protected, and that their essential needs must be met, including through assistance. humanitarian aid, and all hostages must be released.
Meanwhile, he described the situation in southern Gaza as overwhelming.
“Supplies are running low and Israeli authorities have only allowed a single, unsafe route to deliver aid from the Kerem Shalom intersection, where humanitarians face cumulative hostility,” he said. armed and violent extremism and looting, motivated by desperation and the collapse of public order and safety.” .
Middle Eastern ‘powder keg’
The Secretary-General has been warning for months that the conflict risks spreading.
“The Middle East is a powder keg with many sides holding the battleHe said, referring to rising violence in the West Bank and attacks in Lebanon that are threatening the entire region.
Recent days have seen an increase in firefights between Hezbollah and other groups in Lebanon and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) across the United Nations-patrolled “Green Line” between the two countries.
Large-scale Israeli attacks in Lebanon – including the capital Beirut – have killed more than 2,000 people in the past year and mostly in the past two weeks alone. Attacks by Hezbollah and other groups south of the Green Line have killed at least 49 people since last October.
The violence has displaced more than a million people in Lebanon. About 300,000 people have fled to neighboring Syria and more than 60,000 people remain displaced from northern Israel. He noted that the IDF has also recently begun incursions across the Green Line.
Beirut’s suburbs have been hit hard by airstrikes.
Fear of war in Lebanon
Meanwhile, peacekeepers from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIT) continue to carry out its duties to the extent possible.
Mr. Guterres said they were “serving in the most challenging environment for peacekeepers anywhere today,” and called on all parties involved to ensure their safety and security. .
“We are on the brink of an all-out war in Lebanon – with devastating consequences. But there is still time to stop,” he said.
Read ours who explains the UNIFIL mission here.
The conflict in the Middle East is “getting worse by the hour – and our warnings about the terrible impacts of escalation continue to come”, the Secretary-General added, underlining the need There must be an immediate ceasefire in both Gaza and Lebanon, immediately. and the unconditional release of all hostages, and humanitarian access to desperate civilians.
“That is why we cannot and will not abandon the call for irreversible action to achieve a two-state solution. between Israel and Palestine,” he said. “All people in the region deserve to live in peace.”
