Visit our website:
http://www.france24.com
Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English
Follow us on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/France24_en
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Israel has cut ties with UNRWA, the U.N. relief and works agency for Palestinian refugees,
00:06accusing it of providing cover for Hamas militants.
00:10The agency from this Thursday is banned from operating on Israeli soil.
00:15Contact between it and Israeli officials is forbidden, a spokesperson for the Israeli
00:19Foreign Ministry said on social media.
00:22Humanitarian aid doesn't equal UNRWA and UNRWA doesn't equal humanitarian aid.
00:28UNRWA equals an organization infested with Hamas terror activity.
00:32This is why beginning on January 30th, and in accordance with Israeli law, Israel will
00:37have no contact with UNRWA.
00:40The decision comes into effect following a ban passed in the Knesset last October and
00:45a decision by Israel's Supreme Court on Wednesday to reject a petition from a rights group contesting
00:50the move.
00:53The U.N. says its aid agency will continue to work in all Palestinian territories.
00:58An UNRWA official speaking before the ban came into effect warned of the devastating
01:03impact it could have.
01:06We're responsible for over half of deliveries inside the Gaza Strip, over half of the aid
01:11coming in.
01:12UNRWA has been described repeatedly, not by ourselves but by others, as the backbone of
01:20the international aid operation.
01:22Without UNRWA being able to operate, there's a very real risk of this humanitarian operation
01:27collapsing.
01:29After the Hamas-led attack on Israel on the 7th of October 2023, Israeli officials accused
01:35around a dozen of the agency's 13,000 staff in Gaza of taking part.
01:40A series of investigations found some neutrality-related issues, but stressed Israel had not provided
01:45evidence for its headline allegation.