UN Calls for Arms Embargo against Israel Due to Its Attacks in Gaza
Gaza, MINA – The United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Mary Lawlor called for the imposition of an “arms embargo” on the Israeli occupation state due to its attacks in the Gaza Strip and its preparations for a ground offensive on Rafah, which is crowded with displaced people, Anadolu Agency reports.
“It is very terrible that Gazans have been repeatedly told to go to a safe place. This ended in the city of Rafah. Now people have been told to go elsewhere and they have nowhere to go. They’re living in the most horrendous conditions, but they don’t have enough food. They don’t have the medicine they need. Half of Gaza’s population is currently in Rafah,” Lawlor said.
“We have to allow humanitarian aid in there and also there has to be an arms embargo. In my view, any of the states that are fuelling this conflict by supplying arms to Israel just have to stop because Israel is not seeing any sense at the moment,” she added.
“[In Gaza] technically, Israel as an occupying power shouldn’t be waging a war against an occupied territory,” explained Lawlor.
Lawlor pointed out that while the world is aware of what is going on in Gaza, countries are unable or unwilling to intervene.
She confirmed that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is the only organisation serving the Gaza residents and its schools and hospitals.
The UN special rapporteur described Israel’s reversal of the funding to UNRWA as “madness”.
Lawlor pointed out that the International Court of Justice will decide on the situation in Gaza: “Whether (the decision) is genocide or not, but I am saying there is a risk of genocide (in Gaza).”
Lawlor stressed that countries bear a great responsibility for stopping Israel’s attacks on Gaza, noting: “States such as the United States, European Union countries and the United Kingdom, which influence Israel, have a very important role. It is unacceptable for countries to abstain or veto resolutions at the UN Security Council. To me, this cannot be forgiven.”
It is worth noting that Israel has repeatedly equated UNRWA staff with Hamas members in efforts to discredit them, providing no proof of the claims, while lobbying hard to have UNRWA closed as it is the only UN agency to have a specific mandate to look after the basic needs of Palestinian refugees. If the agency no longer exists, argues Israel, then the refugee issue must no longer exist, and the legitimate right for Palestinian refugees to return to their land will be unnecessary. Israel has denied that right of return since the late 1940s, even though its own membership of the UN was made conditional upon Palestinian refugees being allowed to return to their homes and land. (T/RE1/P2)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
