Palestine calls on European Parliament to confront Israel's decision to ban UNRWA

RAMALLAH, Palestine

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa urged the European Parliament on Sunday to confront Israel's decision to ban the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) from operating in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Mustafa met with a delegation from the parliament at his office in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, according to a statement from his office.

He urged the delegation to "confront Israel's decision to ban UNRWA's work, which politically aims to erase the right of Palestinian refugees to return and contributes to the deterioration of humanitarian conditions in the Palestinian territories."

On Oct. 28, 92 members of the 120-seat Israeli Knesset, or parliament, voted in favor of a ban on activities of the UN agency in the occupied Palestinian territories, a move that was condemned by European and Western countries and international organizations.

Israel has accused UNRWA employees of complicity in the Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, alleging that the agency’s educational programs “promote terrorism and hatred.”

UNRWA, headquartered in East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, denies the accusations and asserts that it remains neutral, solely focusing on supporting refugees.

Israel has continued a devastating offensive on Gaza since the attack last October by Hamas, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

More than 43,300 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 102,000 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala