New York - Saba:
The United Nations called on the Zionist government to withdraw its decision stipulating that UNRWA must stop providing its services in Quds and evacuate all buildings it operates in the city by January 30.
Last night, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Israel, in a letter, to withdraw this decision based on the legal framework that regulates UNRWA's activities and its irreplaceable nature, referring to Israel's obligations towards the agency according to an agreement concluded between Israel and the United Nations in 1967, and under the United Nations Privileges and Immunities Agreement that applies to UNRWA.
He stressed that international law stipulates that Israel has no right to impose its sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territories and that "Israel cannot invoke the provisions of its national law," including the law that was passed to ban UNRWA, "to justify its failure to fulfill its obligations under international law."
Guterres referred to the General Assembly resolutions that granted UNRWA a mandate to operate in its areas of operation, including Quds, stressing that under international law, an "occupying power" must establish mechanisms to assist civilians in the territories it occupies.
He explained that any measures that prevent UNRWA from continuing its activities will severely undermine the provision of appropriate humanitarian response in the occupied Palestinian territory, referring to the General Assembly's confirmation in its resolution issued at its tenth emergency special session on January 11, 2024, that there is no organization that can replace or replace UNRWA's capacity and mandate to provide the required services and assistance.