Date: 27Jan 2024
Time: 15:00 Local Time
Press Release
The International Commission “Hashd” Strongly Condemns Some Countries’ Halt in Funding UNRWA Amid Israeli Incitement Campaign
The International Commission to Support Palestinians Rights (Hashd) expresses its strong condemnation of certain countries’ decision to cease funding to UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) based on Israeli allegations and incitement against UNRWA and other international humanitarian agencies.
The International Commission “Hashd”: warns against aligning with the Israeli plan openly expressed during the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza to terminate the services of the International Relief Agency. This comes within the context of the genocide war, forced displacement, and collective sanctions imposed on the residents of Gaza, especially in the midst of the humanitarian catastrophe and growing human and health needs. Despite the clear humanitarian and relief role of the International Relief Agency, the World Health Organization, and other international institutions, these organizations continue to face ongoing incitement and accusations by Israeli authorities. The Israeli government consistently questions the neutrality and professionalism of these institutions with the aim of stopping or ending their roles, or controlling their work and policies.
The International Commission “Hashd”: emphasizes the professionalism of the work of the International Relief Agency and other international organizations. It states that suspending or freezing funding for the International Relief Agency and other humanitarian organizations means leaving millions of Palestinian refugees without assistance or humanitarian support during critical periods when they need protection and relief due to the ongoing genocide war against Palestinians. Freezing funding represents a blatant sacrifice of legal sovereignty, human rights, and the principles of international humanitarian law, which prohibit collective sanctions and ensure the facilitation and support of the work of international humanitarian organizations. The Israeli occupation has not adhered to these principles during its aggression on Gaza, as it continues its serious violations by preventing and obstructing the entry of humanitarian aid and personnel from these organizations into Palestinian territories. Israel also demands the evacuation of offices and staff of these international organizations from the north to the south of Gaza. Israel has so far refused to allow them to work on delivering humanitarian aid to the northern areas of Gaza. Furthermore, Israel has killed 150 employees of the Relief Agency and targeted 65 of its headquarters and schools used as shelters for forcibly displaced refugees, resulting in their destruction and the killing and injuring of hundreds of refugees.
The International Commission “Hashd”: calls on the international community to ensure compliance with the decisions of the International Court of Justice, the Security Council, and the United Nations General Assembly. It urges concerted efforts to guarantee the flow of humanitarian aid and increase support for the International Relief Agency and other international humanitarian organizations, enabling them to fulfill their roles in providing relief to the residents of Gaza who are facing a humanitarian disaster due to hunger, thirst, and diseases resulting from the continuous Israeli aggression on Gaza.
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The International Commission to Support Palestinians Rights (Hashd)
