The Israeli authorities has been accused of intimidation, harassment and a “blatant disregard” of its obligations by the United Nations after Israeli officers raided a UN constructing in Jerusalem.
Cops, together with officers from the city council, entered the East Jerusalem compound of UNRWA, the UN company that gives providers to Palestinian refugees.
The compound has been empty since January, when the Israeli authorities ordered UNRWA to shut the constructing, accusing the company of being “infested” with members of Hamas.
The United Nations denied that accusation vehemently.
Having gained entry to the compound, the officers stuffed autos with possessions, together with workplace furnishings, and raised an Israeli flag instead of the United Nations flag.
They claimed that the constructing had been raided as a result of UNRWA owed round lots of of hundreds of kilos price of native taxes.
Nevertheless, beneath the UN constitution, UN buildings are exempt from such taxes and are additionally thought of “inviolable”, that means that, quite than raiding the constructing, Israel has an obligation to guard it.
Since its employees have been instructed to depart, there have been makes an attempt to interrupt into the compound, which has been secured by a staff of guards employed by the UN.
“We didn’t let them in when they first came to the compound, but they cut the chains and the locks and took control,” mentioned George, the top of safety, who was standing outdoors the entrance gate after we arrived.
“They told my guards to stay in one room, took their phones from them, and told them they couldn’t leave.”
‘The false accusations led to this’
UNRWA’s commissioner-general, Philippe Lazzarini, mentioned the raid was “a blatant disregard of Israel’s obligation as a United Nations Member State to protect and respect the inviolability of UN premises”.
He mentioned that failing to cooperate with UN businesses “represent a new challenge to international law, one that creates a dangerous precedent anywhere else the UN is present across the world”.
His anger was not remoted. Exterior the gates of the UNRWA compound, we met Hakam Shahwam, who used to work right here as UNRWA’s chief of employees. It was, he mentioned, “a very sad day”.
Shahwam says the claims that UNRWA was a breeding floor for Hamas had led to the raid.
He instructed me: “The false accusations led to this. This is a shameful day, not only for the United Nations but also for the government of Israel.
“There have to be a powerful protest, and a response from the worldwide group. That is unacceptable.”
‘It’s time for UNRWA to be dismantled’
The Israeli authorities stays adamant that its criticism of UNRWA is justified.
After I requested Shosh Bedrosian, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in regards to the raid, she mentioned: “UNRWA is a stain on the United Nations.”
She added: “It is time for UNRWA to be dismantled. It is not part of the solution for Gaza, it is part of the problem.”
She didn’t touch upon the legality of the raid, or on Israel’s ongoing dedication to the UN Constitution.
