UNRWA: New Israeli restrictions on organizations undermine humanitarian work in Gaza

GENEVA, Jan. 02 (YPA) – The commissioner-general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, expressed strong support for the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) and condemned Israeli occupation’s plans to ban 37 international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) from the occupied Palestinian territories.

In a post on X, Lazzarini echoed the IASC’s call for Israeli occupation to reconsider the deregistration of international NGOs, warning that the failure to address these restrictions sets a dangerous precedent undermining the basic humanitarian principles of neutrality and independence worldwide.

“The new Israeli restrictions imposed on international NGOs further undermine humanitarian work in the Gaza Strip,” he said.

Lazzarini added that these restrictions came on the heels of anti-UNRWA legislation, describing as part of a disturbing pattern of ignoring international humanitarian law.

“Failure to counter attempts to control the work of humanitarian organizations will undermine the most basic humanitarian principles of neutrality, independence, impartiality and humanity, on which humanitarian work is based all over the world,” UNRWA official stressed.

The Inter-Agency Standing Committee and UNRWA urged world leaders to use diplomatic pressure to ensure that Israel fulfils its legal obligations under international humanitarian law to facilitate, rather than hinder, life-saving aid.

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