New York, January 14 (QNA) – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Israel that he could refer the country to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) if it does not repeal laws targeting UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) and return seized assets and property.
In a Jan. 8 letter to the Prime Minister of the occupation regime, Guterres said the UN cannot remain indifferent to “actions taken by Israel, which are in direct contravention of the obligations of Israel under international law. They must be reversed without delay.”
The Israeli parliament passed a law in Oct. 2024 banning UNRWA from operating in the country and prohibiting officials from having contact with them. It then amended the law last month to ban electricity or water to UNRWA facilities.
Israeli authorities also seized UNRWA’s East Jerusalem offices last month.
UNRWA Senior Communications Manager Jonathan Fowler warned of the risks posed by the new restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities on NGOs operating in Gaza.