Israel’s unacceptable ban on UNRWA operations

Priority question for written answer P-002451/2024
to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Rule 144
Kostas Papadakis (NI), Lefteris Nikolaou-Alavanos (NI)

The genocide being committed by the occupying state of Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza is intensifying, with 43 100 Palestinians dead and 102 000 injured.

The Israeli Government has taken the criminal decision to ban the UNRWA's services. This agency is one of the most important healthcare providers in Gaza and is responsible for supplying vaccines and medicines and providing other health services. It is also responsible for supplies, access to safe drinking water and the removal of solid waste. This ban on operations will exacerbate the tragic sanitary situation in Gaza while also leaving UNRWA staff - who are being deliberately and systematically targeted by Israel, resulting in the deaths of more than 230 agency workers - completely unprotected.

What are the EU High Representative and Commission Vice-President's views on:

• 1.The urgent need for Israel's deplorable decision to be condemned, for the UNRWA to be supported with EU funding and for demands to be made for an immediate end to all criminal embargoes on humanitarian aid to Gaza, with the supply of food, water, medicines and electricity being fully restored and full support given to doctors and nurses?
• 2.The fact that Israel is massacring the Palestinian people and fuelling the explosive situation in the Middle East with its brutalities and yet it is a privileged ally of the EU, receiving military, political and economic support from the latter?
• 3.The call for an immediate stop to all economic and political cooperation with Israel?

Submitted: 6.11.2024