UPDATE - UN agency for Palestinians is 'backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza': UN chief

ADDS REMARKS OF UN CHIEF

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced support Wednesday for the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees, or UNRWA, amid that agency's funding crisis.

The crisis was sparked by allegations that some of its employees in the Gaza Strip took part in the Oct. 7 cross-border attack on Israel.

"UNRWA is the backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza. I appeal to all member states to guarantee the continuity of UNRWA’s life-saving work," Guterres said at the opening of the 2024 session of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.

He said the UN "immediately" acted after receiving the "very serious allegations" against UNRWA staff members.

"I was personally horrified by these accusations. Yesterday, I met with donors to listen to their concerns and to outline the steps we are taking to address them," he added.

The agency said it terminated contracts with several employees following allegations by Israel that some UNRWA staffers were involved in the attack.

The US, UK, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Australia, the Netherlands, Canada, Switzerland, Finland, and Japan have suspended funding for the agency which was established in 1949 to help Palestinian refugees across the Middle East.

"I underscored the importance of keeping UNRWA’s vital work going to meet the dire needs of civilians in Gaza, and to ensure its continuity of services to Palestine refugees in the occupied West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria," said Guterres.

- ICJ decision 'binding'

Guterres said the death, destruction, displacement, hunger, loss and grief in Gaza in the last 120 days are a "scar on our shared humanity and conscience."

He said there is "no justification" for the intentional killing, injuring, torture or kidnapping of civilians, using sexual violence against them, or launching rockets towards civilian targets.

"At the same time, nothing can justify the collective punishment of the people in Gaza," he said, adding that the conflict and "relentless" bombardment by Israeli forces across Gaza have resulted in killings of civilians and destruction “at a pace and scale unlike anything we have witnessed in recent years."

"No party to an armed conflict is above international law.

"International humanitarian law, including the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precautions in attack, must be upheld at all times. And the binding decisions of the International Court of Justice must be complied with," he said.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel last week to "take all measures within its power" to prevent further bloodshed in Gaza in line with Genocide Convention obligations. The court also demanded the immediate release of all hostages.

South Africa brought the genocide case against Israel to the ICJ in late December and asked it to grant emergency measures to end the bloodshed in Gaza, where more than 26,900 Palestinians have been killed since Oct. 7.

It ordered Israel to take "immediate and effective" measures to enable the provision of urgently needed services and humanitarian assistance in Gaza but fell short of ordering a cease-fire.

- ‘Humanitarian system in Gaza is collapsing’

Guterres voiced concern about the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and called for "rapid, safe, unhindered, expanded and sustained" humanitarian access throughout the enclave.

"The humanitarian system in Gaza is collapsing. I am extremely concerned by the inhumane conditions faced by Gaza’s 2.2 million people, as they struggle to survive without any of the basics.

"Everyone in Gaza is hungry, while half a million grapple with catastrophic levels of food insecurity," he said.

The UN chief said there is a need for additional crossing points into Gaza to reduce congestion and avoid chokepoints.

Stressing that he also remains focused on the deteriorating situation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Guterres said: "I am extremely alarmed by the high levels of settler violence in the occupied West Bank."

He reiterated that only a two-state solution can ensure the realization of the inalienable rights of Palestinians as well as a just and lasting peace and stability in the region.

"The international community must not waver in its commitment. Let us work together to advance a meaningful peace process that will put an end to the tragic cycles of fear, hatred and violence and build a more peaceful and hopeful future," he added.