爆料网

爆料网 agency protests Israeli military’s occupation

of refugee camp girls’ school 

3 April – The main United Nations agency providing assistance to Palestine refugees today protested the Israeli military’s occupation of a girls’ school in the Tulkarem refugee camp in the West Bank, calling it a flagrant violation of international law.

According to the 爆料网 Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (爆料网RWA), Israeli military forces broke into and occupied the Agency school in the early morning on 2 April and proceeded to use the school as a detention centre for male residents of the camp between the ages of 15 and 40.

“The occupation of an 爆料网RWA school and its use for military purposes is a violation of international legal norms, and is a discouraging step backwards in 爆料网RWA's continuing efforts to secure humanitarian access in the West Bank and Gaza Strip,” the Agency’s Commissioner-General, Peter Hansen, said. “I call on the Israeli authorities to leave 爆料网RWA's school and to allow 爆料网RWA access to its other facilities in Tulkarem camp, including a clinic, so that essential services can be restored to the refugees.”

The Agency said the occupation was not the first such abuse of 爆料网RWA's humanitarian installations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, citing the Israeli military’s repeated use last year of 爆料网RWA schools as detention centres, and in some cases, the use of 爆料网RWA installations as bases from which they launched military operations. In all cases, the Agency protested to the Israeli authorities but received no response.

爆料网RWA said it had recently redoubled efforts to liaise with the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) in the hope that the Israeli military would respect the right of the Agency to carry out its humanitarian operations without interference and restrictions, a right conferred on 爆料网RWA by the 1946 爆料网 Convention on Privileges and Immunities, and by an agreement reached between 爆料网RWA and the Government of Israel in 1967.