Israel-Hamas war, Gaza genocide

[SvennoJ]

Main donor US unclear on UNRWA future, says agency chief

The United States is still not clear about how it sees ⁠the future role ⁠of the UN Palestinian refugee agency, its chief has said, warning that jettisoning it would create a black hole similar ⁠to Iraq after 2003.

“There is no definitive answer, ‌because the interest of the U.S. is also to be successful in this process and if you get rid of an agency like ours before you have an alternative, you are also creating a huge black hole,” UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini told Reuters news agency on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

“Remember what happened in Iraq in 2003 when the ⁠entire administration had been dismantled (following the US-led invasion). There was ⁠no alternative and people were left without any services”, he said in an interview.

Washington was ⁠long UNRWA’s biggest donor, but froze funding in January 2024 after Israel accused about a dozen UNRWA staff of taking part in the deadly Oct 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack. Those claims were later debunked by more than one investigation.


Palestinian foreign minister calls for empowering government to run Gaza

Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shaheen has called for empowering the Palestinian Authority to govern the Gaza Strip, saying the government is prepared to take over responsibilities and warning that continued marginalization would undermine any postwar arrangements.

Speaking during a panel discussion at the Munich Security Conference, Shaheen said the Palestinian leadership has long been planning for the “day after” in Gaza and is not starting from scratch.

“Yes, we’re ready,” she said in response to a question about timelines for taking over Gaza’s governance. “We’ve been thinking about the day after in Gaza for some time. We’ve had plans that were endorsed by the Arab League, the Muslim world and the international community at large.”

Shaheen said the key requirement is for the Palestinian government to be empowered to carry out its responsibilities, arguing that the current sidelining of the Palestinian Authority is “unsustainable”.

“Today, the Palestinian government is marginalized, and you cannot continue marginalizing a government,” she said, adding that developments in Gaza are inseparable from those in the West Bank.