UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on global leaders to bolster their support for UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, emphasizing that the agency has no substitute.
During a high-profile gathering co-hosted by Jordan and Sweden to advocate for UNRWA, Guterres characterized the circumstances in the Gaza Strip as “beyond imagination.”
“We have failed the people of Gaza. They are in a living hell that somehow gets even worse by the day,” he stated, as reported by the Turkish Anadolu news agency.
Guterres highlighted that “there is no alternative to UNRWA” and appealed to all UN member states to “work on all fronts to intensify support for the agency’s vital mission.”
The UN leader acknowledged that while UNRWA “is not a sustainable long-term solution to the plight of Palestine Refugees,” he reiterated his call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, the release of hostages, and a two-state resolution for both Israel and the Palestinian Arabs, with Jerusalem serving as the capital for both nations.
“But until that moment, UNRWA remains indispensable,” he continued, calling on nations to provide “full support.”
UNRWA has faced long-standing criticism for its ties with Hamas and has recently come under greater scrutiny after it was revealed that some of its personnel were directly involved in the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
In January, Israel stated that UNRWA employees took part in the October 7 assaults by Hamas. They subsequently presented a dossier indicating that UNRWA staff participated in the violence at Kibbutz Be’eri, where 97 individuals lost their lives, by kidnapping a woman and distributing ammunition.
In response, Guterres announced the formation of a review committee, led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, to investigate Israel’s claims.
This group released its findings in April, acknowledging “neutrality-related issues” within UNRWA while asserting that Israel had yet to provide substantial evidence regarding allegations of a considerable number of its employees being affiliated with terrorist organizations.
Last month marked the UN’s first acknowledgment that UNRWA employees might have participated in the October 7 massacre carried out by Hamas in Israel.
Following Israel’s presentation of evidence concerning UNRWA workers’ roles in the Hamas attacks, numerous donor countries opted to suspend or halt approximately $450 million in funding to the agency, although some have since reinstated their contributions.
{Matzav.com}