UNRWA Chief: Unprecedented UN Violation in Jerusalem
From Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA Commissioner-General as posted on his official X account (previously known as Twitter)
A new level of open and deliberate defiance of international law, including of the privileges and immunities of the United Nations, by the State of Israel.
Early this morning, Israeli forces stormed the UNRWA Headquarters, a United Nations site, in East Jerusalem.
Bulldozers entered the compound and began demolishing buildings inside it under the watch of lawmakers and a member of the government.
This constitutes an unprecedented attack against a United Nations agency and its premises.
Like all UN Member States and countries committed to the international rule-based order, Israel is obliged to protect and respect the inviolability of UN premises.
This comes in the wake of other steps taken by Israeli authorities to erase the Palestine Refugee identity.
On January 12, Israeli forces stormed into an UNRWA health centre in East Jerusalem & ordered it to close.
Water, power supplies to UNRWA facilities – including health and education buildings – are also scheduled to be cut in the coming weeks.
This is a direct result of legislation passed by the Israeli parliament in December, which stepped up existing anti-UNRWA laws adopted in 2024.
These actions, together with previous arson attacks and a large-scale disinformation campaign, fly in the face of the ruling in October by the International Court of Justice, which restated that Israel is obliged under international law to facilitate UNRWA’s operations, not hinder or prevent them. The court also stressed that Israel has no jurisdiction over East Jerusalem.
There can be no exceptions.
This must be a wake-up call.
What happens today to UNRWA will happen tomorrow to any other international organisation or diplomatic mission, whether in the Occupied Palestinian Territory or anywhere around the world.
International law has come under increasing attack for too long and is risking irrelevancy in the absence of response by Member States.
ENDs-
https://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/official-statements/unrwa-commissioner-general-unprecedented-violation-un-premises
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