United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has written to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressing his concern over new Israeli legislation that would ban the main U.N. agency supporting Palestinian refugees.
"The Secretary-General is writing and has dispatched a letter not too long ago, a few hours ago to the Prime Minister of Israel, outlining his concerns, the issues of international law that has been raised by this law," spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Tuesday of the two bills adopted Monday by the Israeli Knesset.
"Obviously, if it is implemented, it is clear that it will have a devastating impact on the humanitarian situation of Palestinians in the occupied territory," Dujarric said.
He said Guterres also has written to the president of the U.N. General Assembly, which created UNRWA in December 1949.
Guterres had previously criticized the two laws, set to go into effect in 90 days, which he said "could have devastating consequences" for Palestinian refugees.
Guterres also called on Israel to uphold its obligations under international humanitarian law and said national legislation "cannot alter those obligations."
Israel's U.N. envoy, Danny Danon, said “UNRWA Gaza has become a front for Hamas" and accused Guterres of ignoring that "indisputable fact."
Israeli airstrike kills at least 70
Also Tuesday, Palestinian health officials said an Israeli airstrike hit a five-story residential building in northern Gaza, killing at least 70 people. An additional 23 people were missing after the attack in Beit Lahiya. A second strike later Tuesday killed at least 18 people, the health officials said.
Israel’s military said it is investigating the first strike but did not comment on the second. It did report that four of its soldiers were killed in the fighting, bringing the toll since the start of the operation to 16.
Palestinians bury bodies during a funeral in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, Oct. 29, 2024.
The United Nations expressed deep concern about the high number of casualties, saying it could not access Beit Lahiya.
The new Israeli legislation bans the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, or UNRWA, and forbids Israeli officials from having any contact with UNRWA representatives.
Norway's prime minister said Tuesday his government will submit a resolution to the U.N. General Assembly for it to request a ruling from the International Court of Justice on whether Israel will be violating international law.
"This undermines the right of Palestinians to receive humanitarian aid and lifesaving assistance," Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said in a statement. "We have a collective obligation to respond to this."
Security Council expresses concern
At the U.N. Security Council, the 15 member states individually expressed concern about the legislation, many of them referring to UNRWA as a "lifeline" for Palestinians in the occupied territories and acknowledging it is the "backbone" of the U.N. aid operation in Gaza.
The U.S. envoy urged U.N. chief Guterres to create a mechanism to review and address allegations that UNRWA personnel have ties to Hamas.
"At the same time, we know that right now, there is no alternative to UNRWA when it comes to delivering food and other life-saving aid in Gaza," Linda Thomas-Greenfield said. "Therefore, we have concerns about this legislation being implemented."
UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement Monday that the bill “sets a dangerous precedent.”
“This is the latest in the ongoing campaign to discredit UNRWA and delegitimize its role towards providing human-development assistance and services to Palestine Refugees,” he wrote on social media platform X.
Israel has accused dozens of UNRWA staffers of being members of Hamas and some of participating in the October 7, 2023, terror attacks. UNRWA says it has taken action against about a dozen employees that Israel provided evidence about regarding their involvement with the terror group. However, in dozens of other cases, UNRWA has received either insufficient or no evidence from Israeli authorities.
The legislation comes at a time when the World Food Program warns that famine threatens parts of Gaza, health care lies in shambles, and humanitarians say they face numerous obstacles in getting aid to the most needy, including Israeli denials and obstruction and Gazans looting convoys. The U.N. said Tuesday that 80% of Gazans – about 1.7 million people – have not received their October food rations.
On October 15, the Biden administration gave Israel 30 days to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza or face consequences under U.S. law that could include curtailing military financing. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield reiterated Washington's concerns about the humanitarian situation Tuesday at the Security Council.
"That the United States rejects any Israeli efforts to starve Palestinians in Jabalya, or anywhere else," she said referring to the besieged Palestinian camp in northern Gaza. "And that Israel's words must be matched by action on the ground. Right now, that is not happening. This must change immediately."
Hezbollah announces new leader
The Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah announced Tuesday that Naim Kassem is its new leader, following the killing of longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah in a September 27 Israeli airstrike in Beirut.
A Hezbollah statement said the group's Shura Council elected Kassem, and that the militants would continue Nasrallah's policies.
Kassem served as Hezbollah's deputy leader for more than three decades.
Hamas and Hezbollah are U.S.-designated terror groups.
In southern Lebanon, the U.N. peacekeeping force, UNIFIL, said a likely Hezbollah rocket hit the mission's headquarters in the town of Naqoura, setting a vehicle workshop on fire. Eight Austrian peacekeepers sustained minor injuries. UNIFIL said it is investigating the incident.
The latest conflict in the region began when Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and captured about 250 hostages in their October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Israel says it believes Hamas is still holding 101 hostages, including 35 the military says are dead.
Israel's counteroffensive in Gaza has killed more than 43,000 Palestinians, according to the territory's health ministry, with Israel saying the death toll includes thousands of militants. The Israeli campaign has devastated much of the Gaza Strip, while the fighting and Israeli evacuation orders have displaced around 90% of Gaza's population of 2.3 million people.
VOA's United Nations correspondent Margaret Besheer contributed to this report. Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
