New York: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that implementing a law that prohibits United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) from working in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem "could have devastating consequences for Palestine refugees in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which is unacceptable."
"There is no alternative to UNRWA," Guterres said in a statement, adding that "the implementation of these laws would be detrimental for the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and for peace and security in the region as a whole. As I said before, UNRWA is indispensable."
The Israeli Knesset approved Monday evening in its second and third readings a law that bans UNRWA from operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, despite international and UN warnings about the danger of this legislation, which violates UN and international charters and laws.
Under the new legislation, UNRWA would be unable to "operate any representative office, provide any service, or conduct any activity, directly or indirectly, in Israel."
