Banning UNRWA will lead to vacuum, more suffering for Palestinians: Agency's chief
Riyadh (AP/PTI): The head of the UN agency caring for Palestinian refugees said Wednesday that newly passed Israeli laws effectively banning its activities in Israel will leave a vacuum that will cost more lives and create further instability in Gaza and the West Bank.
Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner-general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, or UNRWA, told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview — the first since the laws were passed — that the legislation is "ultimately against the Palestinians themselves,” effectively denying them a functioning provider of lifesaving services, education and health care.
UNRWA has been the main agency procuring and distributing aid in the Gaza Strip, where almost the entire population of around 2.3 million Palestinians relies on the agency for survival amid Israel's nearly 13-month-old war with the militant Hamas group.
Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians are sheltering in UNRWA-run schools. Other aid groups say the agency's strong, decades-old infrastructure across Gaza is irreplaceable. So far, Israel has put forward no plan for getting food, medicine and other supplies to Gaza's population in UNRWA's absence.
Israel alleges that Hamas and other militants have infiltrated UNRWA, using its facilities and taking aid — claims for which it has provided little evidence. The laws, passed by parliament this week, sever all ties with UNRWA and ban its operations in Israel.
And since the agency's operations in Gaza and the West Bank must go through Israeli authorities, the laws threaten to close its activities there as well. The laws are expected to come into effect in three months.
If the Israeli decision is implemented “this would be a total disaster, it is like throwing (out) the baby with the water,” Lazzarini told the AP, speaking in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, where he is attending a conference to discuss the Mideast conflict.
“This would create a vacuum. It would also feed more instability in the West Bank and Gaza,” he said. “Having UNRWA ending its activities within the three months would also mean more people will die in Gaza.”
He said the agency is looking for “creative ways to keep our operation going." He appealed for support from the UN General Assembly and donors to keep providing services and called on Israel to rescind the decision or extend the three-month grace period. He said Israel has not officially communicated with the agency following the adoption of the laws.
For decades, UNRWA has operated networks of schools, medical facilities and other services around Gaza and the West Bank — as well as in neighbouring Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. In Gaza especially, it plays a major role in maintaining social services and the economy, as the territory's largest single employer and the source of education and health care for much of the population.
The laws threaten to shut down all those operations, impacting the education and welfare of hundreds of thousands of children well into the future, he said.
“We have today 1 in 2 persons in Gaza below the age of 18, among them 650,000 girls and boys living in the rubble, deeply traumatized at the age of primary and secondary school,” he said. “Getting rid of UNRWA is also a way to tell these children that you will have no future. We are just sacrificing your education. Education is the only thing which has never, ever been taken away from the Palestinians.”
UNRWA was established to help the estimated 700,000 Palestinians who fled or were driven out of what is now Israel during the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation. It now offers support to the refugees and their descendants, who number some 6 million around the region.
Lazzarini said the Israeli laws are the “culmination of years of attack against the agency.” He said "the objective is to strip the Palestinian from refugee status.”
International law gives Palestinian refugees and their descendants the right to return to their homes. Israel has refused to allow their return, saying it would end the Jewish majority in the country. Israel has said the refugees should be taken in by their host countries, and officials often argue that UNRWA's services keep Palestinians' hopes for return alive.
In a letter to the UN, Lazzarini said the Israeli laws and campaign against the agency “will not terminate the refugee status of the Palestinians, which exists independently of UNRWA's services, but will severely harm their lives and future.”
Israel claims hundreds of Palestinian militants work for UNRWA, without providing evidence, and that more than a dozen employees took part in Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that ignited the latest war.
The UN has fired nine staffers after internal investigations found they may have participated in the attack. UNRWA has nearly 30,000 staff around the region, including 13,000 in Gaza, most of them Palestinians. Israel also says Hamas fighters operate in UNRWA schools and other facilities in Gaza — and has hit many of them with airstrikes.
UNRWA denies knowingly aiding armed groups and says it acts quickly to purge any suspected militants from its ranks.
Lazzarini said Israel has not responded to inquiries from UNRWA for details about other allegations, including that the agency's premises are used by militant groups. With the continued fighting, the agency has been unable to verify the claims, he said and called for an independent investigation.
At least 237 UNRWA staff have been killed in the war in Gaza, a toll among U.N. staff not seen in any other conflict. Over 200 UNRWA facilities have been damaged or destroyed, killing more than 560 people sheltering there.
Lazzarini spoke on the sidelines of the conference by the Global Alliance for a Two-State Solution, a Saudi government-created initiative attended by foreign ministers from Arab, Muslim, African and European countries.
“If we want to be successful in any future political transition, we need an agency like UNRWA taking care of education and the primary health of the Palestinian refugees” until there is a viable functioning state or administration to do so, he said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
'Political misdeed': PM writes to Birla on now-defeated resolution against LS speaker, slams oppn
New Delhi (PTI): In a sharp attack at the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the resolution brought against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was driven by motives of self-interest and that certain individuals steeped in "dynastic mindset" want to confine democratic institutions within their own narrow spheres.
Prime Minister Modi made the remarks in a letter to Birla, days after the resolution moved by the Congress-led opposition for the removal of the Lok Sabha speaker from office was defeated in the House.
Expressed gratitude for the letter, Birla said the prime minister has always held an unwavering faith in the rules, procedures, and traditions of India's parliamentary democracy.
In his letter in Hindi, Modi said, "The no-confidence motion brought against you in the Lok Sabha was defeated in the House. I also congratulate the members of the House for the decisive manner in which they rejected this political misdeed."
"I listened attentively to the statement you delivered in the House following the defeat of the no-confidence motion. The balance, patience, and clarity with which you referenced parliamentary history, the duties of the Speaker, and the supremacy of the rules were truly impressive. For this, I offer you my commendation," he said.
"Your statement was not merely a response to that specific moment; rather, it served as a profound and measured exposition of Indian parliamentary traditions and democratic propriety," the prime minister said.
The greatest strength of Indian democracy lies in its constitutional institutions, Modi said, adding Parliament stands as the supreme forum among these institutions.
Every voice raised in this House represents the hopes and aspirations of millions of citizens across the country, he said.
"In such a context, the responsibility of the Lok Sabha Speaker extends beyond merely conducting the proceedings; the Speaker also serves as the guardian of democratic traditions, parliamentary rules, and institutional dignity. The clarity with which you asserted in your statement that no one in this House stands above the rules delivers a message that reaffirms the fundamental spirit of our democracy," Modi said in his letter to Birla.
"Differences of opinion are inherent in a democracy. Indeed, it is the diversity of ideas that infuses democracy with vitality. However, it is equally true that there exists a distinct demarcation between disagreement and disrespect," the prime minister said.
It is a matter of concern for all those who place their faith in democracy and its institutions that, at times, political disagreement appears to morph into a disregard for parliamentary decorum, Modi said.
Such moments, he said, serve as a true test for the individual occupying the Chair.
The restraint, composure, and impartiality with which you navigated these circumstances are truly commendable, the prime minister said.
"Every citizen of this nation who cherishes democratic ideals sensed that the no-confidence motion brought against you was driven by motives of personal self-interest and arrogance," Modi said, in a swipe at the Congress and the opposition.
This turn of events caused distress to every individual who holds faith in the democratic process, he said.
"This is not the first instance in which this august Chair has been compelled to confront such challenging circumstances. Before you assumed this office, when the Honourable Smt. Sumitra Mahajan held this position, we observed that the conduct of certain members did not align with the dignity expected of every member of this House," Modi said.
Even during that period, on numerous occasions, we witnessed instances of unnecessary acrimony and disrespect directed toward the Chair, he said.
"It is regrettable that such tendencies persist even today. Such behaviour is not merely directed at an individual; rather, it undermines the dignity of the institution itself, an institution that stands as a symbol of our entire democracy," Modi said.
He asserted that the fundamental essence of Parliament lies in dialogue, reasoned debate, and deliberation.
"Every viewpoint must be accorded the opportunity for expression within these hallowed precincts. Throughout your tenure, you have consistently strived to ensure that the maximum number of members of Parliament are granted the opportunity to speak in the House. Whether they be young MPs, first-time elected representatives, or women parliamentarians, providing everyone with the opportunity to articulate their views serves to broaden the scope and inclusivity of our democracy," he said.
"The nation watches with dismay as certain individuals, steeped in dynastic and feudalistic mindsets, seek to confine our democratic institutions within their own narrow spheres," Modi said, adding that they find it difficult to readily accept the rise of any newcomer.
Furthermore, they find it unacceptable that other elected representatives in this House, particularly the new and young MPs, should be accorded equal opportunities to speak and to advance, the prime minister said.
Such a mindset runs counter to the very spirit of democracy, he asserted.
"The true essence of democracy lies in ensuring that opportunities are not confined to a select few, but rather that a platform is provided for the voices of every section of society and every region of the country," he said.
Sharing Prime Minister Modi's letter on X, Birla said the PM has always held an unwavering faith in the rules, procedures, and traditions of India's parliamentary democracy.
"Your letter articulates those highest ethical values of public service that you have embodied throughout your long public life, currently as the Prime Minister of India, and previously as the Chief Minister of Gujarat," Birla said in his post in Hindi.
"You have always held a deep belief in the fundamental nature of Parliament--dialogue, debate, and deliberation. You accord respect to every voice raised in Parliament, recognizing it as the voice of millions of Indian citizens. You consistently prioritize parliamentary proceedings above all else and strive to find solutions to every issue raised within the House," the Lok Sabha speaker said.
Rising above partisan boundaries, this message of yours will inspire all elected representatives across Parliament, state legislatures, and local bodies, and will further strengthen the robust ethical foundation of the democracy established by our freedom fighters and the members of the Constituent Assembly, Birla said to Modi in his post and expressed gratitude for the letter.
An opposition move to remove Birla as speaker was defeated by a voice vote on Wednesday in the Lok Sabha after a heated debate.
