Doha: The recent approval by the Israeli Knesset of draft laws banning the activities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in the occupied Palestinian territories has been met with severe criticism. This decision, as highlighted by Qatari newspaper Al-Sharq, represents a significant challenge to the United Nations and multilateral efforts, aligning with a systematic Israeli strategy aimed at undermining the agency.
According to Qatar News Agency, this move occurs amidst an ongoing humanitarian crisis facing the Palestinian people, a situation described by Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of a genocidal campaign by the occupation forces. The restrictions on essential aid deliveries, particularly in the Gaza Strip, are expected to have dire humanitarian and political consequences. Al-Sharq underlines Qatar’s unwavering support for UNRWA and the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights, advocating for a sovereign state along the 1967 borders with
East Jerusalem as its capital.
English-language newspaper The Peninsula echoed these sentiments, condemning the Israeli Knesset’s bill as a dangerous precedent for international cooperation and humanitarian efforts. Qatar warns that the prohibition of UNRWA’s activities could deprive millions of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria of crucial services. The Peninsula emphasizes the need for global action to defend the multilateral system and the United Nations’ humanitarian mission in regions such as the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.
