Israel’s ban on the United Nations’ agency for Palestinian refugees is a “death sentence” for the nearly two million people facing extreme hunger in war-torn Gaza, a UN official said.
UN special rapporteur on the right to food Michael Fakhri joins a growing list of humanitarian workers and organizations to condemn the move by Israel’s parliament Monday to pass laws banning UNRWA from operating in the country.
The ban is expected to severely restrict UNRWA from operating in territories Israel occupies, including Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. It would not only undermine Gazans’ right to food but was also an attack on the United Nations itself, Fakhri said.
“What we’re seeing in Gaza today is nothing less than horror and devastation,” he added.
