Middle East Monitor / January 19, 2025
European Commissioner for Equality Hadja Lahbib on Sunday urged the international community to continue supporting the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, Anadolu news agency reported.
“The work done by UNRWA to support Palestinians in Gaza and the region is now more important than ever and needs to be continuously supported by the international community,” Lahbib said on X, adding that she has communicated this message during her talks with Olaf Becker , UNRWA’s director in Jordan.
The plea comes after Israeli parliament, the Knesset, banned UNRWA’s operations in Israeli-controlled areas last October, citing alleged ties between some of the organization’s staff and Hamas’ cross-border attack on 7 October 2023. UNRWA has denied the claims.
Israel has repeatedly tried to link UNRWA to Hamas in efforts to discredit the humanitarian organization, providing no proof of the claims, while lobbying hard to have UNRWA closed as it is the only UN agency to have a specific mandate to look after the basic needs of Palestinian refugees. If the agency no longer exists, argues Israel , then the refugee issue must no longer exist, and the legitimate right for Palestinian refugees to return to their land will be unnecessary. Israel has denied that right of return since the late 1940s, even though its own membership of the UN was made conditional upon Palestinian refugees being allowed to return to their homes and land.
Lahbib also stressed the critical importance of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which began at 0915 GMT on Sunday after delays.
“The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas must hold to allow for the delivery of vital humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable … Children are dying, and every effort must be made to prevent further loss of life,” she said.
Nearly 47,000 people have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 110,700 others injured in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza since October 7, 2023, according to local health authorities.
