France regrets Israeli Parliament’s laws to ban UNRWA’s operations in occupied Palestinian territory

France Tuesday deeply regretted the Israeli Parliament’s adoption of two laws that would ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) from operating in Israel, according to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

‘The implementation of these laws would have severe consequences for the already catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territories, depriving hundreds of thousands of civilians of essential aid, including shelter, healthcare, education and food,’ the Ministry said in a statement.

‘For more than 70 years, UNRWA has been playing a vital, indispensable role in providing essential goods and services to Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, but also in the countries that have taken them in – Lebanon, Jordan and Syria,’ it added.

France reaffirmed its support for UNRWA, pledging that it will ‘continue to ensure the implementation of the necessary reforms to guarantee its neutrality
, specifically the recommendations contained in the Colonna Report.’

‘We also reaffirm our support for all the UN agencies working on the ground to help the Palestinian population,’ the Ministry concluded.

Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA