UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini begged the UN's member states to defend his agency, which he warned faces its "darkest hour" following the passage of Knesset legislation outlawing UNRWA over its proven connections to the Hamas terrorist organization.
"Mr. President, Excellencies, I am addressing you at UNRWA’s darkest hour," Lazzarini wrote in a statement published on Wednesday. "The Israeli Knesset’s legislative action poses an imminent and existential threat to the Agency."
He claimed that the legislation "is the latest move in a relentless campaign to delegitimize UNRWA and undermine its role providing development services and emergency assistance to Palestine Refugees."
"Its intention goes beyond undermining UNRWA and the United Nations," he stated. "It seeks to end Palestinians’ right to self-determination, and aspiration for a just political solution. It advances efforts to shift, unilaterally, long-established parameters for resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict."
According to Lazzarini, UNRWA "is the only pillar of [Gazans] lives left standing."
He warned that UNRWA will collapse unless his three demands are met.
"First, I ask that Member States act to prevent the implementation of the legislation against UNRWA. Changes to UNRWA’s mandate are the prerogative of the General Assembly, not individual Member States," he said.
"Second, I ask that Member States ensure that any plan for a political transition delineates UNRWA’s role. The Agency must progressively conclude its mandate within the framework of a political solution, and hand over its services to an empowered Palestinian administration.
"Finally, I ask that Member States maintain funding to UNRWA, and do not withhold or divert funds on the assumption that the Agency can no longer operate," he begged.
The bills banning UNRWA’s activities in Israel were approved in the Knesset last week 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.
UNRWA, which has long been criticized for cooperating with Hamas, has come under increased scrutiny as its workers have been found to have been directly involved in Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
Israel revealed in January of this year that UNRWA staff participated in the October 7 Hamas attacks. It then presented a dossier showing that the UNRWA workers who participated in the Hamas massacre kidnapped a woman, handed out ammunition and actively took part in the massacre at Kibbutz Be’eri, where 97 people were murdered.