For nearly four months, ‘Israel’ has persisted in its relentless war against the Palestinian people of Gaza with complete disregard for all international calls to cease the aggression. Through the support of international powers, ‘Israel’ maintains its intransigence despite a comprehensive acknowledgement and condemnation of its crimes by the International Court of Justice as a plausible case of genocide. 

‘Israel’s latest criminal practice comprises of its unfounded claims that twelve UNRWA (The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) employees (out of thirty thousand) were affiliated with the Hamas movement and took part in the October 7th operations. Although the investigation has yet to be concluded, the international agency expelled nine employees who it suspected as having a relationship with the movement, despite the lack of conclusive evidence of any employee involvement. Subsequently, the allegations provoked seventeen countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Austria, and several Eastern European countries, to cease all funding to the agency.

Responsible for providing aid and humanitarian assistance to the population for the last 75 years, UNRWA is a lifeline for the Palestinian people. In Gaza, it is the single largest agency providing source of food, medicine, and other basic life necessities for its two million inhabitants living under siege. Moreover, UNRWA provides aid to Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and neighboring countries of Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon.

UNRWA stated that the agency will terminate its activities in Gaza, by the end of the month, implicating the elimination of the only source of humanitarian aid for more than 1.7 million people, more than three-quarters of the population, currently displaced. Undeterred by the ICJ recommendations, ‘Israel’ has not only continued its relentless bombing campaign but is now actively impeding the facilitation of humanitarian aid, despite the worsening conditions in Gaza during these harsh winter months, thus punishing the entire population for possible actions of a few individuals.

We, the Regional Feminist Alliance, strongly condemn this war and stand against ‘Israel’ in its call for the cessation of funding to UNRWA. We call on all donor countries, all feminist and civil organizations, institutions, and active forces to put pressure on their respective governments to maintain UNRWA funding as the most basic act of support for the Palestinian people enduring an unjust war at the hands of this occupying entity.

Regional Feminist Alliance/ The Feminist Campaign to Stop Genocide in Gaza (FCSGG)

Syrian Women’s Network

Syrian Women’s Political Movement

Libyan Woman Lawyer

Tunisians lawyers’ Association

General Association for Woman Development

Aman Women’s Alliance

Friday, February 9, 2024