The Secretary General of UN, Antonio Guterrescondemned a decision byIsrael aiming to prohibit access to electricity and water for facilities belonging to UNRWAThe UN agency in charge of Palestinian refugees, its spokesman said on Wednesday.
According to him, such a measure would "further hinder" the agency's ability to function and carry out its humanitarian activities. Stephane DujarricThe spokesperson for the Secretary-General recalled that the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations remained fully applicable to UNRWA, its property and its personnel, stressing that the agency's facilities are legally inviolable.
The Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Philippe LazzariniHe also denounced this decision, believing that it was part of a "systematic campaign to discredit UNRWA" and, by extension, to hinder its role in assisting Palestinian refugees.
In 2024, Israeli parliament Israel adopted a law prohibiting UNRWA from operating on Israeli territory and forbidding any contact between Israeli authorities and the agency. In this context, UNRWA continues its activities in East Jerusalem, a territory that the United Nations considers occupied by Israel, while the Israeli authorities consider all of Jerusalem to be part of their territory.
The agency provides essential services such as education, health and humanitarian aid to millions of Palestinian refugees in the region, a role that the UN considers indispensable in light of the current humanitarian situation.
