Amman: Secretary-General of the Royal Committee for Jerusalem Affairs (RCJA), Abdullah Kanaan, expressed support for UN Secretary-General Ant³nio Guterres' warning to refer Israel to the International Court of Justice. This action is in response to Israel's escalating actions against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which Kanaan describes as a "genuine awakening of international legitimacy."
According to Jordan News Agency, Kanaan stated that this stance represents a victory for the rights of the Palestinian people against Israeli policies of injustice and oppression. In a statement to "Petra," he highlighted that the Israeli occupation has been targeting UNRWA through the destruction, confiscation, and closure of its facilities in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, coupled with the enactment of discriminatory legislation.
Kanaan pointed out a significant legislation issued in October 2014 which prohibited the agency's operations in the occupied Palestinian territories. This legislation was recently amended to include a ban on supplying electricity and water to UNRWA facilities. He emphasized these measures as part of a systematic Israeli approach aimed at annexation, Judaization, and ethnic cleansing, targeting the refugee issue to displace the Palestinian people and undermine the two-state solution.
He warned that these policies pose a threat to Palestinian rights and are a direct assault on international legitimacy and its institutions, with a blatant defiance of international obligations. Kanaan noted the growing international discontent with Israel's practices, as reflected in escalating international positions and statements condemning the occupation's policies.
Kanaan stressed the threat these Israeli actions pose to international peace and security, especially amidst the ongoing aggression since October 2023 against the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. He also highlighted the grave violations of international law by Israel.
He recalled the International Court of Justice's opinion issued on October 22, 2015, which affirmed Israel's obligation to approve relief plans in the Gaza Strip and facilitate UNRWA's work without obstruction. He declared that all Israeli measures aimed at restricting the agency are "legally null and void."
Kanaan affirmed Jordan's role as the custodian of the historical Hashemite custodianship of Jerusalem's Islamic and Christian holy sites, and as a voice of peace supporting Palestinian rights. He stated that Amman will consistently advocate for an end to all Israeli practices that impede humanitarian and legitimate institutions' operations aimed at alleviating Palestinian suffering.
Source: Jordan News Agency