Entire generation in Gaza would lose education if UNRWA collapses, UN says

UNRWA main warns caller Israeli rule threatens acquisition for 660,000 Gaza students and risks extremism and marginalisation.

An full procreation of Palestinians successful nan Gaza Strip would “be denied nan correct to education” if nan United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) collapses successful nan enclave nether caller Israeli legislation, nan caput of nan agency has warned.

The Israeli parliament past week adopted 2 arguable bills banning UNRWA from operating connected Israeli territory, closing its offices successful nan occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza.

UNRWA’s main Philippe Lazzarini said that implementation of nan legislation, which is owed to return effect successful precocious January, “will person catastrophic consequences”.

“Glaringly absent from discussions astir Gaza without UNRWA, is education,” Lazzarini told a UN General Assembly committee connected Wednesday.

“In nan absence of a tin nationalist management aliases state, only UNRWA tin present acquisition to much than 660,000 girls and boys crossed Gaza. In nan absence of UNRWA, an full procreation will beryllium denied nan correct to education,” he said, informing that this would sow “the seeds for marginalisation and extremism”.

He again pushed UN personnel states to enactment to forestall nan implementation of nan Israeli legislation.

The UN agency provides education, healthcare and different basal services to Palestinian refugees from nan 1948 warfare surrounding Israel’s creation and their descendants, who now number astir six cardinal people. Refugee families dress up nan mostly of Gaza’s 2.3 cardinal population.

Aid groups person warned that Israel’s prohibition connected UNRWA could create further obstacles to addressing a terrible humanitarian situation successful Gaza. Israel has said different UN agencies and assistance groups tin capable nan gap, but those organisations person insisted UNRWA is essential.

Israel’s state nan United States has described nan domiciled of UNRWA successful Gaza arsenic “indispensable.” US Ambassador to nan UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said connected Tuesday that it was of urgent value that Israel region implementation of nan law.

The authorities is owed to return effect conscionable days aft US President-elect Donald Trump takes agency for a 2nd four-year term. Some observers expect Trump to prosecute a powerfully pro-Israel attack to nan Middle East region, going moreover beyond nan coagulated support fixed by President Joe Biden.

The UN Security Council has backed UNRWA and “strongly warned against immoderate attempts to dismantle aliases diminish” it.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has told Israel that replacing UNRWA successful Gaza and nan West Bank would beryllium Israel’s work arsenic nan occupying power. The UN views Gaza and nan West Bank arsenic Israeli-occupied territory.

“We near Gaza wholly successful 2005. We disengaged, we gave nan keys to nan Palestinian Authority,” Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters aft Lazzarini’s briefing.

“Now, we are successful a warfare aft we were attacked and we enactment according to world law; that’s why we supply humanitarian support and we cooperate pinch galore UN agencies,” he said. “We are consenting to cooperate, but not pinch terrorists.”

In January, Israel accused dozens of UNRWA unit of having taken portion successful nan Hamas-led October 7 onslaught wherever much than 1,100 group were killed and astir 250 taken captive by Palestinian equipped groups.

Israel responded to nan onslaught by launching its continuing battle connected Gaza, sidesplitting astatine slightest 43,712 group and wounding different 103,258, according to Palestinian authorities.

The UN launched an investigation into Israel’s allegations which resulted successful nan termination of contracts of 9 unit members against which “the grounds – if authenticated and corroborated – could bespeak that nan UNRWA unit members whitethorn person been involved” successful nan attack.

In July, Israel alleged that different 100 UNRWA labor were members of Hamas and different Palestinian equipped groups. The agency asked Israel to supply much accusation to return action. UNRWA past week told Al Jazeera it had not yet received a response.

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Al Jazeera and news agencies