Post by : Saif Rahman

Antonio Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General, has vehemently criticized a recent Israeli law permitting the disruption of electricity and water to facilities operated by the UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees. The UN cautions that this action could severely hinder humanitarian efforts for the millions of Palestinians reliant on such services.

As stated by a spokesperson from the UN, cutting essential utilities would significantly impact the operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which offers vital services including education and healthcare to Palestinians across Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.

The UN asserts that international law safeguards UNRWA and its assets. The Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations recognizes UN property as inviolable and uninterruptible. This spokesperson highlighted UNRWA's essential role as part of the UN's mission in supporting refugees.

Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA Commissioner-General, also condemned the legislation, labeling it as a concerted effort to undermine the agency's functions. He described the restriction on electricity and water as part of a larger campaign to discredit UNRWA at a time of escalating humanitarian demands.

In 2024, Israel's parliament enacted a law prohibiting UNRWA's operations in Israel and preventing contact between Israeli officials and the agency. Consequently, UNRWA mainly functions in East Jerusalem, which the UN considers as occupied territory, while Israel claims all of Jerusalem as its own sovereign land.

Relations between Israel and UNRWA have historically been strained, deteriorating sharply since the escalation of the Gaza conflict. Israel has continuously pushed for the dismantling of the agency and the transfer of its responsibilities to other UN organizations. The UN, however, has rejected such proposals, identifying no other agency as capable of fulfilling UNRWA's critical role.

The official ban on utility services coincides with Israel's cessation of operations of numerous international NGOs in Gaza, following their non-compliance with recent vetting protocols. Aid organizations and government representatives caution that these policies might drastically reduce access to essential resources such as food, medical care, and clean water.

In response, a coalition of nations including Canada, France, the UK, Japan, and several European states released a unified statement stressing the dire implications of obstructing international aid efforts. They warned that if assistance operations are blocked, as many as one-third of healthcare facilities in Gaza could be compelled to shut down.

As the humanitarian crisis continues to mount, the United Nations and various global leaders are urging Israel to reassess its current actions. They highlight that the withdrawal of basic services to UN agencies could exacerbate human suffering and further destabilize an already precarious situation.

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