Israel UN Palestinian Relief and Works Agency warns of possible dismantling

The UN Palestinian Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) warns of the consequences if it is unable to continue its work. The elimination of the relief organization has become a kind of war target for some in Israel, said Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini in Berlin.

For example, a law planned by the Israeli parliament aims to "dismantle or get rid of UNRWA, especially in the occupied Palestinian territories". It will most likely be passed in the coming weeks - and the question will be how it will be implemented.

Lazzarini emphasized the importance of the aid organization in the region: In the absence of a functioning administration or a Palestinian state, UNRWA is "the only partner that can offer children in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank education in line with their needs". Basic medical care can also only be adequately provided by the aid organization.

The Israeli parliament wants to introduce a law that would classify UNRWA as a terrorist organization and, according to media reports, ban its work on Israeli territory. Israel accuses the Palestinian relief organization in the Gaza Strip of being infiltrated by the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas.

"On the verge of a possible breaking point"

Against the backdrop of increasingly difficult conditions for the aid organization's work, Lazzarini pointed out that a point could be reached at which they would no longer be able to work. If UNRWA could no longer operate in the Gaza Strip, this would also affect the rest of the UN system, which relies on the agency's platform. "We are on the verge of a possible breaking point," he warned.

When asked what his demand to Germany was, Lazzarini said: "The most important political demand is to protect the role of UNRWA in any transition." There will be a ceasefire at some point, but it could take years before a Palestinian authority and government is able to take over the activities.

"We cannot create a gap by abolishing UNRWA," emphasized the head of the Palestinian Relief and Works Agency. Because it would be filled - and the question is "whether it will really be filled with something we want together".

SDA