The Russian ambassador said in his speech to the Security Council that the world body agrees with the view on the importance of conducting a complete and transparent investigation into the allegations leveled by Israel against a dozen UNRWA staff that they participated in the Al-Aqsa Storm operation by the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas.
“It is very important that not only the information provided by Israel, but also the information of the Palestinians is taken into consideration. However, this situation should not be used as an excuse for collective punishment of millions of Palestinians in need, as well as thousands of employees of this agency who have been diligently performing their duties for 75 years”, Nebenzia underlined.
On Tuesday, the Russian foreign minister also condemned the decision by some Western countries to stop financial aid to UNRWA.
According to Sputnik, Sergey Lavrov called the move a breach of international humanitarian laws, arguing that the aid to UNRWA should not be stopped until the results of the investigation about the validity of Israel's claims.
“This action will amount to collective punishment against the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip”, he said
A spokesperson of UNRWA warned on Monday that the agency will not be able to continue its activities and services throughout the region beyond February due to funding cut.
UNRWA was established in 1949 to assist and protect Palestinians who fled or were forced from their homes during the creation of the Zionist entity on occupied Palestinian land by western countries. The agency is currently assisting more than 5 million Palestinian refugees across the region.
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