Water
WaterIsrael news photo: Flash 9

The Palestinian Contractors Union announced a boycott of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Monday for allowing Israeli firms to place bids on construction work regarding water desalination stations in Gaza.

The union said contractors would boycott all work for UNICEF “until they backtrack from their decision to take offers from Israeli companies and equate them with Palestinian companies.”

The contractors' union called on UNICEF not to accept the Israeli proposals, warning members of “serious consequences” if they decide to do so, the WAFA news agency reported. 

UNICEF special representative Jean Gough said, “We are committed to work with our Palestinian partners to ensure that this unit can be built without delay and with the best quality materials available, so that it can benefit Palestinian children as soon as possible.”

“The final decision on the continuation of this project is in the hands of our Palestinian counterparts and stakeholder.”

UNICEF spokeswoman Catherine Weibel told Ma’an that the agency had invited bids from authorized dealers and manufacturers for the project but to date, no company has been hired.