US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, on Tuesday expressed concerns over the Israeli legislation banning the activities of UNRWA.
Speaking at a UN Security Council briefing on the Middle East, Thomas-Greenfield also acknowledged the ties between UNRWA and Hamas and called for reforms in the UN agency for “Palestinian refugees”.
“I reiterate our deep concerns about legislation adopted by the Knesset regarding UNRWA,” the US envoy said, adding, “There is no denying the fact: some UNRWA personnel were involved in the October 7th attacks. This Council heard directly from families of hostages taken into Gaza by UNRWA staff, as we just heard from the Israeli ambassador. UNRWA itself has confirmed that there were some Hamas members found among its personnel.”
“In addition, though we acknowledge the steps UNRWA has taken to implement the reforms outlined in the Colonna Report, we need this progress to accelerate,” said Thomas-Greenfield, referencing the report of the review group created by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after Israel revealed that UNRWA staff participated in the October 7 Hamas attacks.
“And we call on the Secretary General to create a mechanism to review and address allegations that UNRWA personnel have ties to Hamas and other terrorist groups,” she added.
“At the same time,” Thomas-Greenfield asserted, “we know that right now, there is no alternative to UNRWA when it comes to delivering food and other life-saving aid in Gaza. Therefore, we have concerns about this legislation being implemented.”
“Instead of speaking at one another – Israel and the UN must speak to one another. To address the fears that led to the Knesset’s legislation and to ensure that UNRWA can fulfill its critical mandate, rebuild confidence in its mission and the hundreds of staff who are not associated with Hamas.”
The Knesset approved the bills banning UNRWA with a historic majority of 92 out of 120 MKs. Only 10 MKs voted against the bills, with the opposition parties National Unity, Yisrael Beytenu, and Yesh Atid supporting it. The Democrats party abstained.
The bills received initial Knesset approval in July.
The legislation was widely criticized, including by State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, who said the United States was “deeply troubled” by the legislation, which he stated “poses risks for millions of Palestinians who rely on UNRWA for essential services.”
“We are going to engage with the government of Israel in the days ahead about how they plan to implement it” and see whether there are any legal challenges, added Miller.