2024-10-31 08:02:00
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — The head of the U.N. agency dealing with Palestinian refugees said Wednesday that a new Israeli law effectively banning their activities in Israel will leave a vacuum that will lead to more deaths and in Gaza. and creating more instability in the West Bank.
Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner general of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), said in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press that the law was designed to “ultimately target the Palestinians themselves” since the law was passed ’s first interview. They are functional providers of vital services, education and health care.
UNRWA has been the main agency for procuring and distributing aid in the Gaza Strip, and the 2.3 million Palestinians living there have relied almost entirely on it to survive during the nearly 13-month struggle between Israel and the armed group Hamas.
Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians have taken refuge in UNRWA-run schools. Other aid groups say the agency’s strong, decades-old infrastructure in Gaza is irreplaceable. So far, Israel has not come up with any plans to deliver food, medicine and other supplies to the people of Gaza in the absence of UNRWA.
Israel claims that Hamas and other militants have infiltrated UNRWA, used its facilities and obtained aid, but it has provided no evidence. The law passed by parliament this week severed all ties with UNRWA and banned its operations in Israel.
Because the agency’s operations in Gaza and the West Bank must pass through Israeli authorities, the law also threatens to shut down activities there. The law is expected to take effect within three months.
“It will be a complete disaster” if Israel’s decision is implemented, Lazzarini told The Associated Press while attending a conference in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh to discuss the Middle East conflict.
“It will create a vacuum. It will also increase instability in the West Bank and Gaza,” he said. “The end of UNRWA’s activities within three months also means more people will die in Gaza.”
He said the agency is looking for “creative ways to maintain our operations.” He called on the United Nations General Assembly and donors to support the continuation of services, and called on Israel to reverse the decision or extend the three-month grace period. He said Israel has yet to formally communicate with the agency after the law was passed.
For decades, UNRWA has operated a network of schools, medical facilities and other services in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as in neighboring countries such as Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. Especially in Gaza, it plays an important role in sustaining social services and the economy, being the largest single employer in the region and the source of education and health care for the majority of the population.
He said the laws threatened to shut down all such businesses, which would affect the education and well-being of hundreds of thousands of children in the future.
“Today, one in two people in Gaza is under the age of 18, including 650,000 boys and girls living in the rubble, who were deeply traumatized in primary and secondary school,” he said. “Getting rid of UNRWA is also a way of telling these children that they will have no future. We are sacrificing their education. “Education is the only thing that has never been taken away from Palestinians. “
UNRWA was established to help the approximately 700,000 Palestinians who fled or were expelled from what is now Israel during the 1948 war surrounding the creation of the state of Israel. Today, the organization supports approximately 6 million refugees and their descendants in the region.
Lazzarini said the Israeli law was “the result of years of attacks on the institution.” “The goal is to deprive Palestinians of their refugee status,” he said.
International law gives Palestinian refugees and their descendants the right to return to their homeland. Israel refuses to allow their return, saying it would end the Jewish majority in the country. Israel says refugees should be taken in by host countries, and officials often argue that UNRWA’s services keep Palestinians alive with hope of return.
In a letter to the United Nations, Lazzarini said Israeli laws and actions against the agency “will not end Palestinians’ refugee status, which exists independently of UNRWA services, but will seriously damaging their lives and futures.
Israel claims, without providing evidence, that hundreds of Palestinian militiamen work for UNRWA, and that more than a dozen employees were involved in the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the latest war.
The United Nations has fired nine employees after an internal investigation found they may have been involved in the attack. UNRWA has nearly 30,000 employees in the region, 13,000 of whom are in Gaza, the majority of whom are Palestinians. Israel also says Hamas militants operate in UNRWA schools and other facilities in Gaza and has carried out airstrikes on many of them.
UNRWA denies knowingly aiding armed groups and says it is moving quickly to remove any suspected militants from its ranks.
Lazzarini said Israel had not yet responded to UNRWA’s inquiries for details of other allegations, such as that the agency’s facilities were used by armed groups. He said the ongoing fighting had prevented the agency from verifying the allegations and called for an independent investigation.
At least 237 UNRWA staff have been killed in the Gaza war, a number unprecedented among UN staff in any other conflict. More than 200 UNRWA facilities were damaged or destroyed, and more than 560 people sheltering there died.
Lazzarini spoke to The Associated Press on the sidelines of a meeting of the Global Alliance for a Two-State Solution, an initiative sponsored by the Saudi Arabian government and attended by foreign ministers from Arab, Muslim, African and European countries.
“If we want to be successful in future political transitions, we need agencies like UNRWA to look after the education and primary health care of Palestinian refugees,” he said, until there is a viable and effective state or government that can do to this point.
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This story was translated from English by AP editors with the help of generated artificial intelligence tools.
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**Interview with Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner General of UNRWA**
**Interviewer**: Thank you for joining us, Mr. Lazzarini. In light of recent developments, the passing of the new Israeli law banning UNRWA’s activities within Israel, what are your immediate concerns regarding its impact on Palestinian refugees?
**Lazzarini**: Thank you for having me. My primary concern is that this law creates a significant vacuum in the provision of vital services, which will undoubtedly lead to increased instability and potential loss of life in both Gaza and the West Bank. UNRWA has been a lifeline for these communities, especially during this ongoing crisis, and the suspension of our operations will leave millions without access to essential health care, education, and food aid.
**Interviewer**: You mentioned the importance of UNRWA’s infrastructure in Gaza. Can you elaborate on how crucial your services are to the Palestinian population there?
**Lazzarini**: Absolutely. Our schools and medical facilities serve as the backbone of social services in Gaza. We are the largest single employer in the region, and our programs support a vast majority of the population. With 2.3 million Palestinians dependent on UNRWA, the end of our activities will disrupt not just daily life but hinder the future of generations—especially children, who make up a significant portion of the population.
**Interviewer**: The Israeli government claims that militants have infiltrated UNRWA and misused its operations. How do you respond to these allegations?
**Lazzarini**: These claims are serious and concern us greatly; however, they lack credible evidence. UNRWA has robust safeguards to prevent misuse of its services. We have consistently called for a transparent investigation into these claims. It’s important to note that undermining UNRWA doesn’t erase the needs of the Palestinian people or their status as refugees—it only exacerbates their suffering.
**Interviewer**: Given the three-month implementation period for the new law, what steps is UNRWA considering to maintain your services?
**Lazzarini**: We are exploring creative solutions to keep our operations running despite this law. We need the support of the United Nations General Assembly and the international community to advocate for a reversal of this decision. Additionally, we are seeking to engage with Israel to negotiate an extension or reassessment of the law’s implications.
**Interviewer**: What message would you like to convey to the Palestinian refugees and to the international community regarding the future of UNRWA?
**Lazzarini**: To the Palestinian refugees, I want to emphasize that despite this challenging situation, UNRWA is committed to advocating for your rights and well-being. For the international community, I urge you to recognize that dismantling UNRWA will not solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but will deepen the humanitarian crisis. It’s essential that we work together to ensure the continuity of services that are lifelines for millions.
**Interviewer**: Thank you, Mr. Lazzarini, for sharing your insights and the urgent situation regarding Palestinian refugees.
**Lazzarini**: Thank you for having me. It’s critical that we keep this conversation alive.
