Relations between the United Nations (UN) and Israel were further strained on Monday March 4, as the mediating countries attempted to impose a truce in Gaza after almost five months of war. While the UN unveiled its report on sexual violence “ credible “during the Hamas attack on October 7, Israel recalled its ambassador, Gilad Erdan, to protest ” the silence ” organisation. Furthermore, the head of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, denounced before the General Assembly the repeated attacks by Israel to discredit his agency which has managed Palestinian refugees since 1949. Israel, for its part, accused the UN to use hundreds of “ terrorists “.
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Attacks and responses were exchanged at several levels between Israel and the UN on Monday March 4, reports our correspondent in New York, Carrie Nooten. Since mid-January, Israel has formally accused 12 employees of UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Middle East) of having participated in the attacks of October 7.
On Monday, the Israeli military claimed on social media that the agency was in fact housing “ 450 terrorists “, and Ambassador Gilad Erdan explained to the General Assembly that they were ” a thousand “. The boss of theUnrwa, Philippe Lazzarini, denounced at the same platform the disinformation campaigns without providing the evidence to the UN. He also accused Israel of having obtained false confessions under torture from some of his employees.
Also listenUnrwa is playing for its survival
These accusations are a short-term danger for the agency, since they push donors to suspend their funding. In fact, since the agency was accused by Israel of having among its employees terrorists who participated in the October 7 attacks, its international funding was threatened: major donors such as the United States, Germany, United Kingdom or Sweden, had announced to suspend their funding to the agency. The European Union announced that it would release 50 million euros for UNRWA a few days ago following an audit of its functioning.
But Philippe Lazzarini also points to a longer-term danger: the desire to undermine UNRWA to obtain its dismantling. “ We are in a situation where there is also a political will to try to eliminate the presence of UNRWA. The representative of Israel repeated this morning (Monday March 4, Editor’s note) in the General Assembly what the Prime Minister (Benyamin Netanyahu, Editor’s note) has already said, namely that there will be absolutely no role for ‘UNRWA ‘the day after’ in Gaza », declared Philippe Lazzarini.
The UN’s biggest fear is that the idea will start to gain traction in Washington.
Read alsoUNRWA, an essential role in the Middle East: overview