WEB DESK
The Arab League announced yesterday that it would be holding an emergency session today to address Israel’s decision to block the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) from operating in Palestinian territories. In a statement, the league said the session, led by Yemen, will bring together the League’s permanent representatives at its Cairo headquarters to form a united response to the ban.
Earlier the Israeli Knesset passed a bill on Monday banning UNRWA from operating, which would eventually affect its work in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and East Jerusalem. The legislation will take effect in 90 days. Israel has accused UNRWA employees of complicity in the 7th Oct, 2023 cross-border incursion by Hamas, alleging that the agency’s educational programs promote terrorism and hatred. But UNRWA, headquartered in East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, denies the accusations and asserts that it remains neutral, solely focusing on supporting refugees. The agency, founded by a 1949 UN General Assembly resolution, provides aid and protection to Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank, and Gaza.