Lazzarini Addresses UNGA President on Israeli Knesset’s Decision Impacting UNRWA.

New York: The Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, sent a letter on Tuesday to the President of the United Nations General Assembly, Philemon Yang, concerning the Israeli Knesset's decision to ban UNRWA's operations in the occupied Palestinian territories. According to Jordan News Agency, Lazzarini stated that the Knesset's adoption of two laws effectively denies the protections and means essential for UNRWA to operate. The laws forbid Israeli state officials from engaging with UNRWA or its representatives and prohibit UNRWA operations within the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem. He highlighted that this legislation follows a year marked by disregard for UNRWA staff, premises, and humanitarian operations in Gaza, accompanied by diplomatic campaigns by the Government of Israel targeting UNRWA's donors with disinformation to undermine funding. Lazzarini also expressed concern over Israeli local authorities threatening to evict UNRWA from its headquarters in occupied East Jeru salem, aiming to replace it with settlements. He warned that these developments risk the collapse of UNRWA's operations in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and Gaza, severely undermining the overall UN Gaza humanitarian operation reliant on UNRWA's platform. He emphasized that without a viable alternative to the Agency, these measures would increase the suffering of Palestinians, noting that the situation in Gaza surpasses the diplomatic vocabulary of the General Assembly. He described the aftermath of intense bombardment over the past year, highlighting the restriction of humanitarian aid and the severe impact on the lives of Palestinians. Lazzarini reported that more than 43,000 people have been killed, mostly women and children, with nearly the entire population displaced. Essential infrastructure, including schools, universities, hospitals, and basic utilities, has been destroyed. In his letter, he pointed out the dire conditions of the surviving population in the North, trapped and facing death by airstrikes or starvation.