United Nations Requests Israel to Revoke Decision on Banning UNRWA Activities in Jerusalem

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United Nations Requests Israel to Revoke Decision on Banning UNRWA Activities in Jerusalem
New York - United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres requested the Israeli government on Tuesday evening to revoke its decision requiring the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to cease its services in Jerusalem and evacuate all of its facilities in the city by January 30.اضافة اعلان

In a letter obtained by the Jordan News Agency (Petra), Guterres urged Israel to withdraw the decision based on the legal framework that governs UNRWA’s activities and its irreplaceable nature. He emphasized Israel's obligations to the agency under an agreement made between Israel and the UN in 1967 and under the UN’s privileges and immunities agreement that applies to UNRWA.
Guterres affirmed that international law stipulates that Israel has no right to impose its sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territories and that "Israel cannot invoke its national laws," including the law passed to ban UNRWA, "to justify its failure to meet its obligations under international law."
He also referred to the UN General Assembly’s decisions that granted UNRWA a mandate to operate in its areas of work, including Jerusalem. Guterres stressed that under international law, an "occupying power" is required to establish mechanisms to assist civilians in the occupied territories.
He clarified that any actions preventing UNRWA from continuing its operations would severely undermine the provision of adequate humanitarian assistance in the occupied Palestinian territories. He pointed to the General Assembly’s confirmation in its resolution during its tenth emergency special session on January 11, 2024, that no organization can replace or substitute UNRWA’s ability and mandate to provide essential services and aid.