DaysofPal — The Joint Committee for Palestinian Refugees has strongly condemned a decision by the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to dismiss 70 employees in the Gaza Strip, citing unproven allegations originating from Israeli occupation.
In a statement issued Friday, the committee expressed deep concern and outrage over the move, arguing that it represents a dangerous precedent that undermines the principles of justice and fairness upon which the United Nations was founded.
The committee emphasized that the decision contradicts the fundamental legal principle that individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The statement criticized UNRWA for relying on Israeli claims without presenting the findings of independent and transparent legal investigations to substantiate the accusations.
It warned that such actions raise serious questions about the agency’s independence and its ability to protect its staff from politically motivated targeting and incitement.
According to the committee, the dismissals not only harm the affected employees and their families but also risk advancing the longstanding efforts to weaken UNRWA, damage its reputation, and undermine its humanitarian and historical role as an international witness to the Palestinian refugee issue.
The committee reiterated that UNRWA was established under a United Nations mandate to serve and defend the rights of Palestinian refugees, not to yield to political pressure or unverified allegations.
It cautioned that accepting such claims could pave the way for further targeting of agency staff in the future.
The Joint Committee outlined a series of demands, including the immediate reversal of the dismissal decision and the reopening of the cases through fair and transparent legal procedures that guarantee the right to defense.
It also called on the United Nations and donor countries to safeguard UNRWA’s independence and to resist what it described as Israeli campaigns of incitement and defamation against the agency and its employees.
The committee stressed that maintaining UNRWA’s credibility requires adherence to international law and principles of justice, rather than yielding to political pressure.
Finally, the committee urged Palestinian factions, civil society organizations, and labor unions to unite in opposing the decision and to defend both the rights of the employees and the agency’s longstanding mission.
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