UN chief expresses concern over Israel's draft legislation on UN relief agency

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (L) speaks to the press outside the Security Council Chamber at the UN headquarters in New York, on Oct. 8, 2024. Guterres on Tuesday expressed "profound concern" over Israel's draft legislation that could prevent UNRWA, the UN relief agency for Palestinians, from continuing its essential work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. (Xinhua/Xie E)

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday expressed "profound concern" over Israel's draft legislation that could prevent UNRWA, the UN relief agency for Palestinians, from continuing its essential work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

"In the midst of all the upheaval, UNRWA -- more than ever -- is indispensable," Guterres told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York.

The UN chief said he has written directly to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express his concern about the draft legislation. "Such a measure would suffocate efforts to ease human suffering and tensions in Gaza, and indeed, the entire Occupied Palestinian Territory."

"It would be a catastrophe in what is already an unmitigated disaster," he said.

Guterres said that operationally, the legislation would likely deal a terrible blow to the international humanitarian response in Gaza, as UNRWA's activities are integral to that response. "It is not feasible to isolate one UN agency from the others," he said.

Warning that the measure would effectively end coordination to protect UN convoys, offices and shelters serving hundreds of thousands of people, Guterres said that without UNRWA, the delivery of food, shelter and health care to most of Gaza's population would grind to a halt; Gaza's 660,000 children would lose the only entity that is able to re-start education, risking the fate of an entire generation; and many health, education and social services would also end in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

If approved, such legislation would be diametrically opposed to the UN Charter and in violation of Israel's obligations under international law, the UN chief pointed out, adding that "national legislation cannot alter those obligations."

"And politically, such legislation would be an enormous setback to sustainable peace efforts and to a two-state solution -- fanning even more instability and insecurity," he said.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) was established in December 1949 to carry out direct relief and works programs for Palestine refugees. When the agency began operations in 1950, it was responding to the needs of about 750,000 Palestine refugees, and today, some 5.9 million Palestine refugees are eligible for UNRWA services.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (at the podium) speaks to the press outside the Security Council Chamber at the UN headquarters in New York, on Oct. 8, 2024. Guterres on Tuesday expressed "profound concern" over Israel's draft legislation that could prevent UNRWA, the UN relief agency for Palestinians, from continuing its essential work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. (Xinhua/Xie E)

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (at the podium) speaks to the press outside the Security Council Chamber at the UN headquarters in New York, on Oct. 8, 2024. Guterres on Tuesday expressed "profound concern" over Israel's draft legislation that could prevent UNRWA, the UN relief agency for Palestinians, from continuing its essential work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. (Xinhua/Xie E)

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks to the press outside the Security Council Chamber at the UN headquarters in New York, on Oct. 8, 2024. Guterres on Tuesday expressed "profound concern" over Israel's draft legislation that could prevent UNRWA, the UN relief agency for Palestinians, from continuing its essential work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. (Xinhua/Xie E)

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks to the press outside the Security Council Chamber at the UN headquarters in New York, on Oct. 8, 2024. Guterres on Tuesday expressed "profound concern" over Israel's draft legislation that could prevent UNRWA, the UN relief agency for Palestinians, from continuing its essential work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. (Xinhua/Xie E)