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Israel seeks to deprive Palestine refugees of their right to return to their own land, says Foreign Ministry
Türkiye on Thursday slammed Israel's decision to ban the activities of the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) in occupied Palestinian territories, calling it a “blatant violation of international law.”
“We condemn this step, which marks a new phase in Israel's policies of occupation and annexation aimed at forcibly displacing Palestinians from their own land,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“It is also evident that, with this decision, Israel seeks to deprive Palestine refugees of their right to return to their own land,” the ministry added.
UNRWA, established by the UN General Assembly in 1949 and operating with the strong support of UN member states, provides humanitarian aid and essential services to millions of Palestinians under the most challenging conditions, the statement said.
Türkiye called on the international community to support UNRWA and to take the necessary steps toward regional peace.
“Türkiye stands unwavering in its support of UNRWA and in defending the rights of the Palestinian people,” the ministry said.
The ban, which took effect Thursday, prohibits UNRWA activity on what Israel's Supreme Court calls “the sovereign territory of the state of Israel.” That does not include Gaza and the West Bank but does apply to occupied East Jerusalem.
UNRWA's international staff at the East Jerusalem office has already evacuated, according to the UN.
The Israeli law also bans contact between UNRWA staff and Israeli authorities. It is unclear how that could affect operations throughout the Palestinian territories.
Last year, Israel accused UNRWA staff of participating in the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks by Palestinian group Hamas. However, an investigation by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services was unable to authenticate any of the Israeli information used to support the allegations.
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