Targeting UNRWA is 'attack on the General Assembly,' Türkiye's UN envoy says

HAMILTON, Canada

Türkiye's envoy to the UN Ahmet Yildiz on Wednesday denounced Israel's ban on the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), stressing that it "must be viewed as an attack on the General Assembly itself."

Emphasizing the aid agency’s critical role in providing essential support to Palestinian refugees, Yildiz said at a UN General Assembly session that "UNRWA has been a lifeline for millions of Palestinian refugees" since its establishment in 1949.

Yildiz condemned Israel’s actions, including recent Israeli legislation banning the agency, which he described as "a direct and imminent threat" to UNRWA’s operations, particularly in the occupied Palestinian territories.

"These measures violate Israel's obligations under the UN charters, the convention on the privileges and immunities of UN, the International Court of Justice's provision rulings on genocide prevention in Gaza, the General Assembly's mandate for UNRWA and other binding international legal commitments," he said.

He also condemned attacks on UNRWA staff and facilities, calling them "unacceptable."

"An attack on UNRWA must be viewed as an attack on the General Assembly itself," he said, adding that "it is now incumbent upon us as member states to stand firmly against any attempts to dismantle UNRWA, a body established by a UN General Assembly resolution and crucial to achieving justice and peace to Palestinian refugees."

Yildiz reaffirmed Türkiye's continued support of UNRWA's work, both politically and financially, as the chair of the UNRWA financing working group.