United Hatzalah has formally requested the support of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to repurpose the recently evacuated UNRWA campus in Jerusalem for humanitarian and emergency medical training purposes. In a letter sent to the Secretary-General, Eli Beer, President and Founder of United Hatzalah, outlined the organization’s vision for transforming the site into a training center for EMTs and a logistics hub for humanitarian aid. The proposal aligns with the UN’s humanitarian principles and seeks to provide life-saving medical assistance to all residents in the region, including both Jewish and Arab communities in Jerusalem and the West Bank. United Hatzalah, which operates with over 8,000 volunteers from diverse backgrounds, is known for its rapid response to medical emergencies and disaster relief efforts. The organization provides its services free of charge, emphasizing cooperation and peace through its life-saving work. “This initiative would greatly benefit all residents in the region, fostering peace and cooperation,” Beer wrote in the letter, urging the UN to grant them access to the former UNRWA facility. The request comes amid growing scrutiny over UNRWA’s operations, with several nations suspending funding to the agency over allegations of staff involvement in Hamas’s October 7 terror attack on Israel. The evacuation of certain UNRWA facilities in Jerusalem presents an opportunity for repurposing the space for humanitarian and medical training efforts. As of now, the United Nations has not publicly responded to the request. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)