As Israeli aggression on the occupied West Bank increases, the Palestinian resistance there grows. On Feb. 1, occupation forces destroyed 20 homes in a residential neighborhood in Jenin. At the same time, resistance brigades in the West Bank have been more and more effective in their attacks on invading Israeli forces, including settlers and soldiers — killing and wounding many.
Meanwhile in Gaza, according to Resistance News Network: “More than 300,000 displaced Palestinians from the southern and central governorates returned to the Gaza and Northern governorates via Al-Rashid and Salah Al-Din streets. This comes after 470 days of the genocide committed by the “israeli” occupation army.” (Jan. 31)
Those who have returned to Gaza made the following request: “Our Palestinian people in the governorates of Gaza and the North urgently require 135,000 tents and caravans immediately and without delay, as the destruction inflicted by the “israeli” occupation army in these areas has exceeded 90%. We call on the international community, international and United Nations organizations and Arab states to open the crossings and bring in essential supplies to shelter our dignified Palestinian people.” (Resistance News Network)
It is clear from this request that the existence of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) is important to the well-being of the Palestinian people in both Gaza and the West Bank. Yet in recent days, Israel has ‘banned’ UNRWA’s existence on Israeli territory.
However, Juliette Touma, director of communications of UNRWA, told a press briefing in Geneva, Switzerland: “We continue to provide services. In Gaza, UNRWA continues to be the backbone of the international humanitarian response. We continue to have international personnel in Gaza, and we continue to bring in trucks of basic supplies. … The agency has reported more than 270 of its staff killed in the 15-month Gaza war and called for investigations.” (Reuters, Jan. 31)
According to Touma, “Tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees in occupied East Jerusalem — whose annexation by Israel is not recognised internationally — also receive education, health care and other services from UNRWA.”
In an interview on the PBS NewsHour on Jan. 31, reporter Nick Shifrin asks William Deere, head of UNRWA’s Washington, D.C., office if there is an alternative to UNRWA. Deere’s answer was: “No. UNRWA performs a unique function in the UN system. We are a direct service provider. We run … a health care network; we run an education system. We provide relief and social services. “
Deere continued: “In fact, UNRWA is by design built to be turned over to Palestinian institutions. And, in fact, we see our role in Gaza as hopefully being a bridge to whatever emerges as the governance there.”
The ceasefire in Gaza and its terms clearly indicate that, despite Israel’s posturing, the united Palestinian resistance forces won. The terms included the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the Israeli ‘hostages,’ the return of the displaced Palestinians to Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and, eventually, the rebuilding of the wreckage of Gaza. Israel has allowed some of this to go on but appears, as usual, to be trying to wriggle out of their full commitment.
Yemen’s Ansarallah Commander Sayyed Abdulmalik Badr El-Din Al-Houthi, during his speech on Feb. 2, said: “The enemy’s goal is total genocide, absolute control and the complete expulsion of the Palestinian people from Gaza. The only thing preventing them is the legendary steadfastness of the Palestinian people, its fighters and its martyrs.
“If the Palestinian people had not shown such incredible steadfastness, the enemy would have proceeded with the complete displacement and extermination of Gaza.”
The Israelis are trying to compensate for their defeat in Gaza by escalating their crimes in the West Bank. Their major way to not fulfill the ceasefire agreement is to call into question the major aid organization available to the Palestinian people since 1950.