NEW YORK: The commissioner general of the UN Relief and Works Agency issued a stark warning before the UN Security Council on Tuesday, calling on international leaders to intervene in the face of a new Israeli law that is set to cripple the agency’s operations in the Occupied Territories.
Philippe Lazzarini’s warning comes just days after a long-awaited ceasefire took hold in Gaza, offering hope for the millions of Palestinians whose lives have been shattered by almost a year and a half of conflict.
While the ceasefire has brought about the return of hostages and improved humanitarian aid flow, he emphasized that the fragile peace could be jeopardized by legislation passed by the Israeli Knesset that will severely restrict UNRWA’s ability to deliver essential services.
The Israeli law, set to take effect in two days, mandates the cessation of UNRWA’s operations in East Jerusalem and parts of the West Bank, threatening to leave Palestinian refugees without health care, education and emergency relief at a critical time.
UNRWA, which employs 13,000 staff across Gaza and operates 300 premises, has been a cornerstone of life for many Palestinians, providing essential services that many say no other entity can match.
“UNRWA is the largest UN presence in Gaza,” Lazzarini told the UNSC. “Our capacity to provide health care and education, particularly after the devastating losses in Gaza, is irreplaceable.
“To curtail our operations now would sabotage the fragile ceasefire and deepen the suffering of millions of Palestinians.”
Lazzarini’s warning was underscored by alarming statistics: A peer-reviewed study suggests that the death toll in Gaza, reported at 46,000 by the enclave’s Health Ministry, is likely an undercount by more than 40 percent. Most of the victims are women, children and the elderly.
Thousands of survivors are returning to their homes in the decimated north of Gaza, only to find their lives reduced to rubble and their families torn apart, he said.
Since the outbreak of hostilities in October 2023, UNRWA has been a lifeline for Gaza’s population, he added.
The agency has delivered two-thirds of all food assistance, provided shelter to over 1 million displaced individuals, and vaccinated 250,000 children against polio.
Since the ceasefire, UNRWA has accounted for 60 percent of all food entering Gaza, reaching over half a million people daily.
Lazzarini stressed that if the legislation is fully implemented, it would not only destabilize Gaza’s humanitarian situation but also set a dangerous precedent for international law, undermining the credibility of the UN and further eroding trust in the international community.
He pointed out that such actions defy UN resolutions and international legal rulings, including those by the International Court of Justice.
The Israeli government has argued that other entities could replace UNRWA’s services, but Lazzarini rejected this claim, stressing that only the agency has the infrastructure and expertise to deliver the critical services needed by millions of Palestinians.
He also criticized a growing disinformation campaign against UNRWA, funded by the Israeli Foreign Ministry, which has attempted to portray the agency as complicit in terrorism.
“These political attacks aim to strip Palestinians of their refugee status and erase their history and identity,” Lazzarini said.
“If UNRWA is no longer able to protect and assist Palestinian refugees, their rights to self-determination won’t vanish — they’ll only become more urgent.”
In his appeal to the international community, Lazzarini called for immediate action to prevent the legislation from taking effect, urging the UNSC to support UNRWA’s continued operations, ensure adequate funding, and facilitate a genuine political transition in the region.
He warned that without urgent intervention, the collapse of UNRWA would not only deepen the humanitarian crisis but also endanger the fragile peace in Gaza.
“The ceasefire must be followed by a political process that ensures the eventual handover of services to empowered Palestinian institutions,” he said. “UNRWA mustn’t be left to implode.”
As the international community grapples with these critical challenges, Lazzarini’s message was clear: The clock is ticking, and decisive action is needed to secure a future of peace and stability for Palestinians.
US Ambassador Dorothy Shea said it is “Israel’s sovereign decision to close UNRWA’s offices in Jerusalem,” and expressed American support for its implementation.
“UNRWA exaggerating the effects of the laws and suggesting that they’ll force the entire humanitarian response to halt is irresponsible and dangerous,” she added.
“UNRWA isn’t, and never has been, the only option for providing humanitarian assistance in Gaza. Many other agencies have experience and expertise to do this work and have done this work.
“UNRWA’s work has been tainted and its credibility questioned due to the terrorist ties to Hamas that UNRWA staff had that were exposed as a result of Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack.”
With less than 48 hours left before the ban takes effect, the UN is uncertain what the next move will be.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the organization will continue to do whatever it can to support the Palestinian population “that’s entitled to UNRWA’s services.”
He added that “we’re all moving into uncharted and complex waters,” and that the “UNRWA footprint can’t be replaced by other UN agencies.”
UNRWA chief warns of devastating impact of Israeli ban on agency
https://arab.news/cy7vg
UNRWA chief warns of devastating impact of Israeli ban on agency
- Philippe Lazzarini: ‘To curtail our operations now would sabotage the fragile ceasefire (in Gaza) and deepen the suffering of millions of Palestinians’
- US ambassador: Washington fully supports ‘Israel’s sovereign decision’
Thousands remain displaced in Jenin as Israeli military campaign continues for 84th day
- 6,000 people remain displaced within Jenin city, while 3,200 have sought refuge in the dormitories of the Arab American University
- Discussions with the Palestinian Authority are ongoing to provide mobile homes for displaced residents
LONDON: Israeli forces have continued operations in Jenin and its refugee camp for the 84th day, with homes being bulldozed and burned while some have been converted into military positions.
On Monday morning, Israeli forces detained two Palestinians from the village of Yamoun, located west of Jenin, after storming the town and conducting raids on homes, WAFA news agency reported.
Israeli forces deployed infantry units around Al-Amal Hospital and Al-Rabi Building on Al-Mahta Street, near the Jenin refugee camp, conducting raids in the area, WAFA added.
Jenin Governor Kamal Abu Al-Rub said 21,000 people remain displaced as a result of the Israeli military campaign, with 6,000 residents sheltering within Jenin city. At the same time, 3,200 people sought refuge in the dormitories of the Arab American University, and 4,181 individuals found shelter in Burqin village. Abu Al-Rub said discussions with the Palestinian Authority are ongoing to provide mobile homes for the displaced residents in Jenin.
Over the weekend, Israeli forces sent reinforcements and armored vehicles into Jenin and its refugee camp, including D10 bulldozers and infantry. Israeli forces conduct military training near the Jalameh checkpoint, north of Jenin, and occasionally fire live ammunition toward the deserted Jenin camp, WAFA reported.
Macron urges ‘reform’ of Palestinian Authority to run Gaza without Hamas
- France is among European nations to have backed a plan for Gaza to return to the control of the Ramallah-based authority after nearly two decades of Hamas rule
PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron called Monday for “reform” of the Palestinian Authority as part of a plan that would see the West Bank-based body govern a post-war Gaza without Hamas.
France is among European nations to have backed a plan for Gaza to return to the control of the Ramallah-based authority after nearly two decades of Hamas rule.
“It is essential to set a framework for the day after: disarm and sideline Hamas, define credible governance and reform the Palestinian Authority,” Macron said on X after a phone call with his Palestinian counterpart Mahmud Abbas.
“This should allow progress toward a two-state political solution, with a view to the peace conference in June, in the service of peace and security for all.”
Macron said last week that France could take the unprecedented step of recognizing a Palestinian state during a United Nations conference in New York in June, sparking condemnation from Israel.
Hamas has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007, when it seized control from the Palestinian Authority after being blocked from exercising real power despite winning a parliamentary election the previous year.
Both France and the United States under Joe Biden have pressed for the Palestinian Authority, which has limited autonomy in parts of the West Bank, to root out corruption and bring in new faces in the hope it could take charge of Gaza.
The Ramallah-based administration, led by 89-year-old Abbas, has been hamstrung by Israel’s decades-old occupation of the West Bank and the Palestinian president’s own unpopularity.
Egyptian, Qatari leaders discuss Gaza, economic partnerships
- Countries agreed to package of direct investments worth up to $7.5bn
- El-Sisi, Sheikh Tamim said Palestinian reconciliation essential to achieving national unity
LONDON: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi discussed the reconstruction plan for the Gaza Strip and economic partnerships with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.
El-Sisi is on a two-day state visit to Qatar and is scheduled to visit Kuwait as part of a Gulf tour, the Middle East News Agency reported.
Qatar and Egypt agreed to a package of direct investments worth up to $7.5 billion, aiming to strengthen and support sustainable economic development for both countries, MENA agency added.
During their meeting in Doha on Monday, El-Sisi and Sheikh Tamim discussed the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. They expressed strong support for the Palestinian people’s right to establish an independent state based on pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
They discussed the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, which lies in ruins after a year and a half of Israeli bombardment. The two leaders said that Palestinian reconciliation is essential to achieving national unity among factions to lead state institutions, MENA agency added.
Turkiye seeks growing influence in Africa
- Ivory Coast is keen to work with Turkiye in all sectors, including communications, trade, security and education
- Turkiye has signed defense agreements with Somalia, Libya, Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Ghana
ISTANBUL: Turkiye has long sought to extend its influence in Africa by mediating in conflicts and building military partnerships with countries on the continent.
Those efforts have picked up speed in recent months with diplomatic successes in resolving local conflicts, and as traditional powers such as France and the United States pull back from the continent, according to analysts and diplomats.
An annual diplomacy forum in the southern Mediterranean resort of Antalya on April 11-13 drew many African officials, including the president of Somalia, as part of Ankara’s efforts to consolidate its foothold in Africa.
“Today African countries are looking for alternatives, and Turkiye represents one of those options, so it has resonated well in Africa,” Professor Eghosa Osaghae, director general of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, who attended the forum, told AFP.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has boosted his international standing after backing rebels who overthrew Syrian ruler Bashar Assad and brokering a key Horn of Africa peace deal between Somalia and Ethiopia.
We have relations with France that we are very proud of. But France doesn’t prevent us from having other partnerships
Kacou Leon Adom, Ivory Coast’s foreign minister
Ankara, which also hosted two rounds of talks between Russia and Ukraine at the start of the war, has often said it is ready to support any initiative leading to peace between its two Black Sea neighbors.
The Antalya forum was also attended by Syria’s new leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha.
For Osaghae, whether Turkiye can fill the vacuum in Africa left by France, which has seen many of its former colonies turn away from it in recent years, would “depend a great deal on how attractive Turkiye’s offers to African states will be.”
Speaking to AFP on the sidelines of the forum in Antalya, Ivory Coast’s foreign minister, Kacou Leon Adom, said: “We have relations with France that we are very proud of. But France doesn’t prevent us from having other partnerships.”
The west African nation is keen to work with Turkiye in all sectors, including communications, trade, security, education, or training, he said.
“All of that interests us. And from this perspective, Turkiye is making us offers, and we will consider them.”
Security challenges
Many African countries are faced with challenges to their security, with groups such as Somalia-based Al-Shabab, Boko Haram from Nigeria and the Lord’s Resistance Army, which originated in Uganda, wreaking havoc.
“If it is possible for Turkiye to give assistance in these areas, why not?” Osaghae said.
“The good thing is that many African countries already have military cooperation with Turkiye. And that can be the building block for Turkish influence.”
Turkiye has signed defense agreements with a number of states spanning the breadth of the continent, including Somalia, Libya, Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Ghana.
Those agreements have opened up contracts for Turkiye’s defense industry, notably for its reputedly reliable and inexpensive drones.
According to Turkish diplomat Alp Ay, Turkiye offers dialogue — he noted its success in getting Somalia and Ethiopia to end a bitter dispute that had sparked fears of conflict in the restive Horn of Africa.
“We are trying to ensure that Africa can find its own solutions to African problems,” said Ay, who works as Ankara’s special representative in negotiations between Somalia and the breakaway Somaliland region.
The good thing is that many African countries already have military cooperation with Turkiye. And that can be the building block for Turkish influence
Eghosa Osaghae, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs
Tension mounted last year after Ethiopia struck a deal with Somaliland — which unilaterally declared independence from Somalia in 1991 in a move not recognized by Mogadishu — to gain access to the sea.
But Ethiopia and Somalia announced a full restoration of diplomatic ties following a December deal mediated by Turkiye.
Ay said the responsibility from now on would be on both sides to uphold the deal but Turkiye would continue to play its facilitator role. “We are hopeful.”
A senior Somali diplomat likewise said Turkiye played “a very assistive role in bringing the two countries together to resolve this issue.”
In a sign of Ankara’s growing influence, Erdogan met his Somali counterpart, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, on Saturday in Antalya.
“I think Turkiye is playing a key role in Somalia,” the Somali diplomat said.
“And it is a positive role. Turkiye is not only involved in security, it is also involved in other developmental projects in Somalia.”
Nigerian political scientist Osaghae said because there are many conflicts in the region, “Africa desperately needs mediators that are not only credible but are capable of doing the kinds of things that Turkish experience suggests.”
Kurdistan regional government commemorates 37th anniversary of Anfal genocide
- The event paid tribute to the tens of thousands of Kurds who were systematically targeted and killed by the former Iraqi regime during the 1988 Anfal campaign
DUBAI: The Kurdistan Regional Government held a ceremony to mark the 37th anniversary of the Anfal genocide, Iraq state news reported on Monday.
Organized by the Ministry of Martyrs and Anfal Affairs, the event paid tribute to the tens of thousands of Kurds who were systematically targeted and killed by the former Iraqi regime during the 1988 Anfal campaign.
Named after the eighth sura of the Qur’an, “Anfal” became a codename for a brutal military operation led by Saddam Hussein’s cousin, Ali Hassan Al-Majid — infamously known as “Chemical Ali.”
Over the course of several months, Iraqi forces conducted mass executions, used chemical weapons, and destroyed more than 2,000 Kurdish villages. Entire families were arrested, displaced, or disappeared, with many perishing due to disease, malnutrition, or exposure after being forcibly relocated.
Kurdish officials called for continued recognition of the Anfal as an act of genocide and reaffirmed their commitment to preserving its memory for future generations.
