UK, France, Canada among 11 countries condemning Israel’s UNRWA demolitions

Eleven countries person condemned Israel’s demolition of the East Jerusalem office of the United Nations bureau for Palestinian refugees, saying it “marks the latest unacceptable determination to undermine” UNRWA’s work.

In a associated connection connected Wednesday, the overseas ministers of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Norway, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom slammed the demolition arsenic an “unprecedented act” against a UN agency.

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“We telephone upon the Government of Israel, a subordinate of the United Nations, to halt each demolitions,” they said.

Israel has carried retired an intensified unit run against UNRWA, which provides assistance and services to Palestinian refugees crossed the Middle East, amid the country’s genocidal warfare against Palestinians successful the Gaza Strip.

Without factual evidence, the Israeli authorities and its allies, including the United States, person accused UNRWA of being linked to Hamas – a assertion rejected by the UN.

Israel has utilized those allegations to effort to restrict UNRWA’s quality to run successful Gaza, contempt humanitarian leaders noting that the bureau is champion equipped to administer food, water, medicine and different captious humanitarian assistance successful the war-ravaged enclave.

In precocious 2024, Israel’s parliament passed legislation barring UNRWA from operating successful areas nether Israeli control.

Israeli lawmakers approved amendments successful December of past twelvemonth to fortify that prohibition, drawing condemnation from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Last week, UNRWA reported that Israeli forces, nether the ticker of Israeli lawmakers, stormed its East Jerusalem office and began demolishing buildings.

“This constitutes an unprecedented onslaught against a United Nations bureau & its premises,” UNRWA main Philippe Lazzarini wrote connected societal media.

“Like each UN Member States & countries committed to the planetary rule-based order, Israel is obliged to support & respect the inviolability of UN premises.”

Lazzarini said Israel’s anti-UNRWA moves “fly successful the face” of an October 2025 ruling by the International Court of Justice, which said Israel has an work nether planetary instrumentality to assistance restrictions connected the agency’s operations and facilitate its work.

“The United Nations, acting through UNRWA, has been an indispensable supplier of humanitarian alleviation successful the Gaza Strip,” the tribunal said successful its ruling (PDF).

Therefore, it said that, “Israel is nether an work to hold to and facilitate alleviation schemes provided by the United Nations and its entities, including UNRWA.”

Call to fto assistance into Gaza

In Wednesday’s statement, the 11 overseas ministers reiterated their “full enactment for UNRWA’s indispensable mission” to supply services and humanitarian assistance successful the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem.

“UNRWA is simply a work supplier delivering healthcare and acquisition to millions of Palestinians crossed the region, peculiarly successful Gaza, and indispensable beryllium capable to run without restrictions,” they said.

The ministers besides called connected Israel to facilitate assistance deliveries to Gaza, wherever astatine slightest 71,660 Palestinians person been killed successful Israeli attacks since October 2023.

“Despite the summation successful assistance entering Gaza, conditions stay dire, and proviso is inadequate for the needs of the population,” the connection read.

As the occupying powerfulness successful Gaza, Israel has an work nether planetary instrumentality to guarantee the needs of the occupied colonisation are met.

The Israeli authorities besides agreed nether a US-brokered ceasefire deal, which came into effect successful October, to let 600 trucks of humanitarian assistance into the Palestinian territory each day. But it has failed to adhere to that tenet of the agreement.

At slightest 492 Palestinians person been killed successful Israeli attacks since the ceasefire began, according to the latest figures from the enclave’s Health Ministry.