Israel seeks to dismantle UNRWA, erase Palestinian refugee status

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) head Philippe Lazzarini has criticised Israel's attempts to eliminate the aid agency, calling the government in Tel Aviv "short-sighted and naive."

"We heard even at the beginning of the war that it became almost more objective to get rid of UNRWA. Now let's be clear… it has nothing to do with neutrality breaches," Lazzarini said at a joint news conference with Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in New York on the margins of the 79th UN General Assembly.

Citing the findings of an investigation by the UN's Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), Lazarrini said the agency is implementing and embracing the recommendations.

However, the UNRWA chief said there is "an overarching political goal" behind the attempts to dismantle the aid agency.

"The main reason behind this objective is to strip the Palestinian from the refugee status," he asserted, stressing that it is "short-sighted and naive to believe that if you get rid of UNRWA, you have no refugees anymore."

Recalling that UNRWA's mandate is to provide humanitarian aid, he said even if the agency is shut down, "you will still have Palestinian refugees."

"Deeply traumatised"

He described Gaza as "a place which definitely horrifies even the most seasoned humanitarian," and noted that at least one million children under the age of 18 are living "in the rubble, deeply traumatised."

Lazzarini said at least "600,000 children of the age of primary and secondary school" have already missed a year of their education, and that "education is the only asset that has never been taken away from the Palestinian. A lot has been taken away (from Palestinians), but not education."

"We are nearing a situation where an entire generation might be sacrificed if they are not brought back to learning," he warned.

Despite the "extraordinary" challenge, Lazzarini said UNRWA is still "trying to make sure that they (children) lose as little (education) as possible."

He stressed that without a learning environment, seeds to "more resentment, hate, and extremism" will be planted for the future.

Describing Israeli attacks as "relentless," he said, "They come from every corner. It is not only operational... but they are also brought at the political level. They are brought at the legislative level."

Emphasising that Israel's "smearing campaign" on social media against UNRWA is not only against the agency but also against the broader UN system, he also stressed that Israel's attacks are also "against the broader international community."

He underscored that Israel is trying not only to strip Palestinians from their refugee status, but also attacking them to weaken their aspiration for self-determination.

Lazzarini reminded that attempts by Israel's parliament or the Knesset to label UNRWA as a terror organisation "would not only weaken the instrument of the broader multilateral system, but it would also open an extraordinary Pandora's box, with the risk of becoming a new standard in any other conflict or dispute situation across the world."

The UNRWA chief urged countries to increase their contributions to the agency to cover the shortfall "between now and the end of the year."

"Undermining the UN system"

Jordan's Safadi, for his part, highlight the agency's "irreplaceable and indispensable" work, saying that "UNRWA and its staff made the ultimate sacrifice. Israel has killed 222 members of UNRWA. It (Israel) targets them. It does not allow them to operate."

"UNRWA is a path of hope to Palestinian children in Gaza today," he said, recalling the children out of school.

Describing Israel's, who is a UN member state, move to designate the agency as a terrorist organisation as "incomprehensible," Safadi urged the international community to "stand against" it.

"It is undermining the whole UN system, and the world must not allow that," he urged.

"Israel is not above the law," he said, adding that "Israel, as the occupying power, has to abide by international law."