A destroyed UNRWA building in Gaza City. UN agency for Palestinians asks Security Council to protect it from attack Peace and Security
The UN agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) is under unprecedented attack: it could be expelled from occupied East Jerusalem and declared a terrorist organization by the Israeli parliament, Antonia de Meo, UNRWA’s deputy commissioner-general, warned members of the UN Security Council on Friday, calling on them to take urgent action.
The Suffering of Gaza’s Residents
For almost 10 months now, Palestinians and Israelis have been enduring unspeakable suffering. “More than two million people in Gaza remain trapped in an endless nightmare of death and destruction on a staggering scale. They suffer fear, thirst, hunger, disease, live in inhumane conditions, without basic sanitation, and are forced to constantly flee their homes,” de Meo emphasized. “It is a relentless and often hourly struggle that they wage day in and day out.”
The risk of famine remains, including in southern Gaza, infections are spreading, and 625,000 deeply traumatized children are out of school. Half of them attended UNRWA schools before October 7. Since this war began so soon after the COVID-19 pandemic, an entire generation of girls and boys could be left without a formal education.
UNRWA staff under attack
The rapporteur noted that the Security Council has already adopted several resolutions demanding a ceasefire, the release of all hostages and an increase in humanitarian aid, but they have had little impact on the situation in Gaza.
Everyone is suffering, including the staff of the UN agency, 199 of whom have died, many along with their families. 190 UNRWA buildings destroyed or damaged.
Attempts to disband UNRWA
“The concerted effort to disband UNRWA continues unabated,” the agency spokeswoman continued. She said many UN and NGO staff had been denied visas to enter Israel.
UNRWA exists because there is no political solution. It exists because there is no Palestinian state that could provide public services in its place
The UNRWA Commissioner-General’s visa expired more than a month ago and has not been renewed. “False information and disinformation about UNRWA are being spread on social media, which in some cases could amount to incitement to violence. This puts all our colleagues, particularly in the occupied Palestinian territory, at serious risk,” the rapporteur said.
Earlier this week, on July 22, the Israeli parliament approved in the first reading three bills related to UNRWA: one aims to ban UNRWA operations in occupied East Jerusalem; another aims to revoke the UN privileges and immunities granted to UNRWA since 1949; and in the third case, UNRWA is declared a terrorist organization. To become law, these bills must pass the second and third readings in the Knesset.
UN Mandate Around the World Under Threat
“If these bills are passed, which could happen as early as next week, the consequences will be dire and immediate: they will directly threaten the situation of all UNRWA staff and the mandate of the General Assembly. And while UNRWA will face consequences today, make no mistake: the entire UN system around the world will feel the consequences tomorrow. We cannot allow this to become the new standard for future humanitarian operations in conflict zones around the world,” stressed Antonia de Meo.
UNRWA Neutrality
She noted that UNRWA has often been accused of bias, especially following reports that several agency staff had been involved in the “heinous” attacks on Israel on 7 October. “If confirmed, this would constitute a horrific betrayal of the Palestinian refugees and of UNRWA [by these staff],” she said, adding that the investigation was ongoing.
She recalled that an independent review published in April praised UNRWA and noted that the agency maintains its neutral status.
Calls to protect UNRWA
She called on Security Council members to work together to resist attempts to disband the agency. “UNRWA is under attack because of its role in protecting the rights of Palestinian refugees, and because it embodies the international community’s commitment to a just and lasting political solution,” the spokesperson said. “UNRWA exists because there is no political solution. It exists because there is no Palestinian state that could provide public services in its place.”
She also called on the Council to continue to insist on a ceasefire, protect UNRWA’s mandate, and advance a peaceful solution to the seven-decade-old Middle East conflict. “The longer the war in Gaza continues, the further we move away from a peaceful solution that would unite Palestinians and Israelis, recognize our common humanity, heal and teach us to live side by side in peace and security. This decision must also ultimately put an end to the plight of Palestinian refugees,” Antonia de Meo concluded her speech.