Relentless in Gaza: and without UNRWA it will be even worse
JVL Introduction
The imminent threat of Israel’s ban on UNRWA operating in areas under its control would prove catastrophic for the people in Gaza as this article emphasises – and as was also recognised by the UK’s Foreign Secretary at the point that the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) was considering the legislation. Despite this and the absence of any other agency with the experience or reach of UNRWA, there is every indication that it will go ahead from 30th January as originally planned.
This article tells us much more, not only the terrible conditions that most people in Gaza are enduring, but the severe limitations on UNRWA’s work already, especially in the north of Gaza where between 6th October and 30th December they attempted to reach the area 164 times but 148 attempts of those efforts were “denied by the Israeli authorities and 16 were impeded”.
If Israel refuses to recognise UNRWA as a legitimate operator then, in additon to not being able to bring UNRWA trucks in with aid on Israel’s roads, but even within Gaza , UNRWA buildimgs – where thousands are sheltering – and vehicles will be even more targeted and they will have even less protection as Israel would stop taking the coordinates of their whereabouts and route.
Social order is breaking down already in part of the Gaza Strip, Louise Wateridge, Senior Emergency Officer for UNRWA said: “If that agency is removed, it takes this buffer away, and what’s to say people don’t fight more? I’m surprised social order hasn’t collapsed more than it has. People have been pushed to the brink.”
Following the article is the Statement from Global Jews for Palestine, of which JVL is a member. This is based largely on the Tell your politicians: Israel must NOT ban UNRWA piece we posted urging all to write to their political representatives asking that they put pressure on Israel not to implement the legislation.
LL
This article was originally published by The Guardian on Sun 5 Jan 2025. Read the original here.
Social order in Gaza will collapse if Israel ends cooperation with UN aid agency, official says
Unrwa senior officer describes 60,000 people sheltering in school buildings sharing 12 bathrooms, but says without aid things will get worse
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Starmer and pals MUST BE ASKED about their views on the ethnic cleansing and genocide. DO NOT BACK DOWN. DEMAND A RESPONSE. Can’t JVL do this small thing for the victims?
well like so many other individuals and organisations, we are continuing to do what we can and working with Jewish groups across the world who are equally committed to ending the genocide and to freedom and justice for the Palestinians, as ell national and local PSC. The failure of so many governments to stop this – or even just to stop their own arms and other trading with Israel as a “plausible” genocide and a definite illegal occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza is a literal shock to our systems when we need a shock to THE system so that it operates in the interests, and the well being, of, the most powerless and vulnerable in our own and in other countries
Our Labour government spouts hypocritical empty words and allows the terrorist state of Israel to get away with murder.