UNRWA future: US backs Israel’s decision to shut down agency

Philippe Lazzarini warns attempts to dismantle Palestinian refugee agency in occupied East Jerusalem will have far-reaching consequences

The UNRWA offices in East Jerusalem. Reuters

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The US on Tuesday said it supported Israel’s “sovereign” decision to shut down the offices of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in occupied East Jerusalem.

Israel had told the Security Council it would cut all contact with UN Relief and Works Agency within 48 hours and enforce the closure of the agency’s offices in areas that it considers to be under its control. Israel has called for UNRWA's responsibilities to be transferred to other agencies.

“UNRWA is exaggerating the effects of the laws and suggesting that they will force the entire humanitarian response to halt is irresponsible and dangerous,” Dorothy Shea, US deputy representative to the UN, told the Security Council. “What is needed is a nuanced discussion about how we can ensure that there is no interruption in the delivery of humanitarian aid and essential services.”

“UNRWA is not and never has been the only option for providing humanitarian assistance in Gaza,” she added.

UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini warned that attempts to dismantle the agency through the Knesset's legislation and suspending donors' funding would have far-reaching consequences, destabilising the region and undermining prospects for peace.

“The right of Palestinian refugees to protection and assistance are not derived from [the] UNRWA mandate, they exist independently of the agency,” Mr Lazzarini said. "And if one ceases to protect and assist Palestinian refugees, their rights will not only remain but there will be much greater emphasis on the right to return or to be resettled, for which UNRWA has no mandate."

Mr Lazzarini criticised the deputy mayor of Jerusalem, Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, for calling for public celebrations over UNRWA’s potential removal, noting that Israeli authorities plan to “build illegal settlements” on the land near the agency’s East Jerusalem office in Sheikh Jarrah.

The Israeli government has repeatedly accused UNRWA staff of affiliation to the Palestinian militant group Hamas, responsible for the deadly attack in Israel on October 7, 2023, which prompted the Gaza war.

Palestine's UN envoy Riyad Mansour on Tuesday slammed Israel's long-standing attacks on UNRWA, accusing it of trying to eliminate the Palestinian refugee issue. "Israel has been attacking UNRWA long before October 7 and at that time it did not try to conceal its objectives," he said. "It wanted to end the refugee problem, to erase rights that cannot be erased, that are inalienable."

Mr Mansour warned that Israel's tactics of destroying and impoverishing Palestinian communities would never lead to peace. "If you think that by destroying, displacing and impoverishing communities you will have peace, you are terribly mistaken.”

He further criticised Israel's actions in Gaza and its policies towards the Palestinian people. "Israel, that destroyed Gaza and openly aims at getting rid of the Palestinian people, does not get to pick and choose who represents the Palestinian people or who represents the UN," he told Security Council members. "It does not get to distort the law and the narrative. It does not get to claim some sort of exceptional status that allows it to commit crimes and enjoy impunity. The problem is not the rules but their breach."

Before a UN Security Council meeting on UNRWA, Israel’s UN ambassador Danny Danon said his country would terminate all collaboration, communication and contact with the agency and any other body acting on its behalf. Mr Danon did not specify any alternatives to replace the activities of UNRWA.

"In 48 hours time, as this legislation comes into effect, we will stand at a turning point: the closure of UNRWA operations in Israel. It marks the beginning of a new chapter, one focused on dignity, security and progress. It is a moment to move beyond the failures of the past and to forge a path toward a better future for all," he said.

In a strongly worded letter, UN chief Antonio Guterres demanded Israel "retract" its order for UNRWA to leave Jerusalem and rejected Israel's claims of sovereignty over East Jerusalem where UNRWA maintains an office.

Slovenia's deputy ambassador Ondina Blokar Drobic criticised the Israeli legislation for undermining the ceasefire agreement and failing to provide an alternative.

"In the event that UNRWA is compelled to cease its activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, Israel would be left to ensure that the range of services and assistance which UNRWA has been providing are provided. Regrettably, we have not heard any such assurances from the Israeli government," she said.

UNRWA, established in 1949, has long provided essential services, including schools and clinics, to tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees in East Jerusalem and beyond. The refugees, many of whom lack nationality, rely on the agency for education, health care and other critical support. East Jerusalem, occupied by Israel since the 1967 war, is home to a significant Palestinian population and remains a focal point of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.