UN rapporteur calls on states to suspend ties with ‘Israel’ over aid access to Gaza

NEW YORK, Jan. 29 (YPA) -The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, said on Thursday that “Israel” has no legal authority to prevent humanitarian organizations and aid workers from entering the Gaza Strip or other occupied Palestinian territories.

In a post on X, Albanese called on states to suspend ties with “Israel” until it complies with international law, describing such a step as a starting point for achieving peace.

“Israel has no legal authority to bar humanitarian aid workers from entering Gaza and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory,” she said. “The occupation is illegal and must end fully and unconditionally, as confirmed by the International Court of Justice in 2024. States must suspend relations until Israel complies with international law.”

Albanese also referred to Israel’s decision not to renew the visa of Olga Cherevko, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Gaza, a move that has prevented her from entering the besieged enclave.

She said the decision reflects a recurring pattern of restrictions and pressure on UN and international NGO aid workers, “particularly those perceived as being too outspoken about what they witness on the ground.”

Albanese stressed that humanitarian workers have a duty “to bear witness when international law is violated.”

@E.Y.M