On January 28, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on donor countries to ensure the continued operation of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
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| United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. (Source: Reuters) |
“While I understand their concerns and am myself appalled by these allegations, I strongly urge the governments that have suspended their contributions to continue, at least to ensure the continuity of UNRWA’s operations,” Mr. Guterres said in a statement, according to Arab News .
He made the call as several countries are currently suspending funding for UNRWA after Israel accused some of its staff of being involved in the Hamas attack on Israeli territory on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 Israelis.
UNRWA said it had fired several staff and opened an investigation into Israel's allegations.
In a statement, Secretary-General Guterres stressed the need to maintain UNRWA operations to meet the urgent humanitarian needs of the people in the Gaza Strip. He said the UN is investigating allegations against some UNRWA staff.
Currently, major donor countries to UNRWA such as the US, UK, Canada, Switzerland and Germany have announced the suspension of funding to this organization. In response, the Palestinian Authority (PA) on January 27 proposed to resume “maximum aid” to the people in Gaza.
In another development, on January 27, Chairman of the African Union (AU) Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat welcomed the ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of the United Nations requiring Israel to take all measures within its capacity to prevent its actions in the Gaza Strip.
“The ICJ ruling underscores the need to respect international law and the need for Israel to strictly comply with its obligations under the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide against the Palestinian People in the Gaza Strip,” Faki said in a statement on social media.
Previously, on January 26, the ICJ issued its first judgment in a case brought by South Africa, a member state of the AU, against Israel for violating its obligations under the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Accordingly, the judgment required Israel to ensure that it did not violate its obligations under the Convention, calling on Israel to improve the humanitarian situation in this coastal strip.
The verdict was welcomed by many countries around the world , including Egypt, Turkey, Spain, Germany...
Most recently, on January 27, the British government issued a statement supporting the ruling requiring increased humanitarian aid to the people of the Gaza Strip, while affirming the need to "establish a lasting, permanent ceasefire without resuming hostilities."
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