NewsUN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese, on Friday expressed grave concern about Israel’s ongoing systemic attacks against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the UN, and the Palestinian people. The remarks come following Israeli forces’ demolition of the UNRWA compound in East Jerusalem this week.
In response to Israel’s actions, Albanese called for invocation of Article six of the UN Charter to suspend Israel’s membership. Article six permits the expulsion of a UN member for persistently violating the principles of the UN Charter.
Albanese stated:
I am horrified by the Government of Israel’s relentless destruction, carried out with total impunity. Israel is dismantling the United Nations and international law brick by brick in full view of the world. Attacking UNRWA is tantamount to bulldozing the world’s efforts to sustain Palestinian life. Genocidal rhetoric by Israeli officials that has accompanied these demolitions leaves no room for doubt.
Following Israel’s passing of a bill suspending UNRWA operations in October 2024, Malaysia prepared a draft resolution to suspend Israel from the UN. The draft resolution has not been tabled, and the current status is unclear. No state has been suspended from the UN under Article six.
Albanese further called on the “UN Secretary General to request that the General Assembly convene a special session and consider next steps following these unprecedented attacks on UNRWA and the wider UN.”
On January 20, Palestinian Wafa News Agency reported that “an Israeli army force, accompanied by bulldozers, stormed the agency’s compound after sealing off the surrounding streets and intensifying its military presence in the area, and proceeded to demolish structures inside the compound.”
On Friday UNRWA warned that Israeli authorities may shut down the Qalandia training center on the West Bank, which could interrupt the education of hundreds of students.
The destruction of the UNRWA compound has been widely condemned by institutions such as the UN itself, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the EU, among others.
Israeli foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, defended the move, stating: “UNRWA-Hamas had already ceased its operations at this site and no longer had any UN personnel or UN activity there. The compound does not enjoy any immunity and the seizure of this compound by Israeli authorities was carried out in accordance with both Israeli and international law.”
According to section two of Israel’s Law to Cease UNRWA Operations in the Territory of the State of Israel, UNRWA shall not operate within the sovereign territory of the State of Israel. The passing of the bill in 2024 was widely condemned as violating international law. Further, the UNRWA compound operates in East Jerusalem which is part of the Occupied Palestinian Territories and as such is not subject to Israeli sovereignty.
Earlier this month, Israel suspended numerous aid agencies operation in Gaza, a move condemned by UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk.
