EU top diplomat rejects attempts to label UNRWA as 'terrorist organisation'

 EU Foreign Policy chief, Josep Borrell, on Monday reiterated the bloc’s rejection of labelling the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) as a “terrorist organisation”, Anadolu Agency reports.

We reject any attempts to label UNRWA as a ‘terrorist organisation’. How can a United Nations agency be considered a terrorist organisation

Borrell said at a joint press conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi, in Brussels on the sidelines of the 15th meeting of the EU-Jordan Association Council.

He said the EU, along with other international donors, will continue to support and fund UNRWA.

We agreed that it is critical to preserve UNRWA’s irreplaceable role throughout the region, certainly including in Jordan

Borrell said.

There was no immediate Israeli comment on Borrell’s statements.

Late in May, the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) passed a preliminary motion to approve a bill designating UNRWA as a “terrorist organisation.”

The bill also mandates that the Israeli “Anti-Terrorism Law” be applied to the UN Agency and ceases all communications and relations between Israel and the Agency.

Israel has lobbying hard to have UNRWA closed as it is the only UN agency to have a specific mandate to look after the basic needs of Palestinian refugees.

Israel has repeatedly equated UNRWA staff with Hamas members in efforts to discredit them, providing no proof of the claims, while lobbying hard to have UNRWA closed as it is the only UN agency to have a specific mandate to look after the basic needs of Palestinian refugees. If the agency no longer exists, argues Israel, then the refugee issue must no longer exist, and the legitimate right for Palestinian refugees to return to their land will be unnecessary. Israel has denied that right of return since the late 1940s, even though its own membership of the UN was made conditional upon Palestinian refugees being allowed to return to their homes and land.

UNRWA was established by a UN resolution in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance and protection to refugees in its five areas of operation: Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240715-eu-top-diplomat-rejects-attempts-to-label-unrwa-as-terrorist-organisation/

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