(United Nations) Israel recalled its ambassador to the United Nations on Monday, the latest episode in the high tensions of recent months, illustrated by the risks of collapse of the UN Agency for Palestinian refugees in the midst of turmoil.
In a message posted on during the unprecedented attacks of October 7.
The United Nations has been criticized for having reacted too slowly to the rapes and sexual violence that Israel accuses Hamas of having committed on October 7, but the secretary general now denounces them almost systematically in his speeches.
PHOTO MIKE SEGAR, REUTERS ARCHIVES
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan
And on Monday, its special representative on sexual violence in conflicts Pramila Patten concluded, after a visit to Israel, that there are “good reasons to believe” that victims of October 7 were raped, as were certain hostages held in Gaza. Even if she specifies that she cannot estimate the number of this violence.
“It took the United Nations five months to finally recognize the sexual crimes,” commented Gilad Erdan, referring to the “shame of the UN exposed for all to see.”
Going even further in a speech before the General Assembly, the ambassador, who regularly calls for the resignation of Antonio Guterres, accused the UN “of being itself a terrorist organization in Gaza”.
A reference in particular to the accusations brought against 12 of the 30,000 regional UNRWA employees who, according to Israel, participated in the attacks of October 7 which led to the death of 1,160 people, mainly civilians, according to an AFP count.
The UN immediately separated the accused employees who were still alive and an internal investigation was launched. At the same time, Antonio Guterres entrusted an independent group with a mission to evaluate UNRWA and its “neutrality”.
The UN notes that, so far, Israel has not shared any evidence of its accusations with investigators or UNRWA.
“Deliberate campaign”
But around fifteen countries have suspended their funding, for a total of $450 million – the equivalent of more than half of the funds received in 2023.
The latest accusation to date, the Israeli army affirmed on Monday that “more than 450 terrorists belonging to terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip, mainly Hamas, are also employed by UNRWA”.
The Agency accused the Israeli authorities of having committed acts of “torture” against some of its employees arrested in the Gaza Strip since October 7.
Some were allegedly forced to make confessions under torture on relations between UNRWA and Hamas, confessions which, according to the agency, serve a campaign of “disinformation” led “by the Israeli authorities”. Accusations rejected by the Israeli Foreign Ministry denouncing an attempt to “distract the world’s attention from the real crimes” of UNWRA employees.
In this context of exchanges of accusations and denials, many countries defended the Agency before the General Assembly, which created UNRWA in 1949.
“Two million people are totally dependent on UNRWA services,” underlined Yemeni Ambassador Abdullah Ali Fadhel Al-Saadi, on behalf of Arab countries, calling on donors to resume their funding.
The head of the Agency Philippe Lazzarini denounced a “deliberate and concerted campaign to undermine” the operations of the “backbone” of humanitarian aid in Gaza, with the ultimate aim of “putting an end to it”.
“Dismantling UNRWA is reckless. In doing so, we will sacrifice an entire generation of children, sowing the seeds of hatred, resentment and future conflict,” he insisted, as the Israeli offensive left more than 30,500 dead. in the Gaza Strip.
However, he welcomed the new contributions announced – the European Commission in particular released 50 million euros.
Thanks to them, the Agency “can continue its operations and remain a vital aid to Palestinian refugees throughout the region,” he noted. ” But for how long ? “.
“Hard to say,” he said, still describing an organization at “a breaking point.”