Amman, Dec. 30 (Petra) - The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) on Tuesday described the Israeli Knesset’s vote on new legislation against the UN agency as "outrageous." In a statement posted on its X account on Tuesday, the agency said, "the agency said the legislation constitutes a blatant violation of the mandate granted to it by the UN General Assembly and contradicts rulings of the International Court of Justice obliging Israel to fulfill its responsibilities toward UNRWA and the United Nations system.

It added that the new law grants Israel the authority to cut water, electricity, fuel and telecommunications to UNRWA, and allows for the seizure of UN property in East Jerusalem, including its headquarters and training center. It also exempts Israel from its obligations under the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, which the agency said amounts to a flagrant violation of international law.

UNRWA noted that the new legislation comes as part of an ongoing campaign to restrict its work in East Jerusalem and obstruct its role in providing humanitarian assistance and development services to Palestinian refugees, services that the International Court of Justice has affirmed are necessary to guarantee the rights of Palestinians, including their right to self-determination.

The agency stressed that Israel’s unilateral measures directly affect its operations in the occupied Palestinian territory, including the Gaza Strip, where the UN agency constitutes the backbone of the humanitarian response, adding that the rights of Palestinian refugees will remain guaranteed under international law even if the agency’s work were to cease.

//Petra// AF