EU's top diplomat rejects attempts to label UNRWA as 'terrorist organization'

AMMAN, Jordan

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Monday reiterated the bloc's rejection of labeling the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) as a "terrorist organization."

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

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.

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.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar