Israel Drops the Hammer on UN Coordinator for Gaza Aid
When it comes to the accusations of UN employees favoring Gaza, Israel remains unyielding in its stance. Case in point: the United Nations Coordinator for Humanitarian Aid in the Gaza Strip, Lynn Hastings, will not be granted a visa extension.
Israel's stand against Hastings stems from convictions of her perceived bias during the tensions between Israel and radical Islamic Hamas. Following her appointment as Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Peace Process and Local Humanitarian Coordinator for the West Bank and Gaza Strip by UN Secretary-General António Guterres in December 2020, the Canadian's Israeli visa is set to expire this month.
However, the UN remains steadfast in its confidence in Hastings despite the accusations leveled against her by Israel. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric in New York did not disclose whether Hastings' role would be filled or if she'd work from a different location post-visa expiration. Certain public attacks against Hastings on online service X were deemed "completely unacceptable" by Dujarric, yet he declined to discuss the Israeli accusations.
Criticism Spreads to Other UN Representatives
Israel's UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan has not held back in his criticisms of UN representatives since the war commenced between Israel and Hamas. Demands for the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, to step down do not end with Hastings. Erdan was particularly vocal in his allegations that other UN representatives spread lies about the number of deaths and injuries in the conflict.
Erdan posed a powerful question to the UN Security Council: Who is supplying the UN with these supposed facts? Are these facts produced by impartial and objective third parties? The UN Security Council's primary source of information about the situation on the ground is not the UN staff based in Gaza, but Hamas itself.
Hostility towards Israel at the United Nations intensifies following Hastings' visa issue. Strangely, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres continues to express his full belief in Hastings, despite Israel's accusations of her bias during the Gaza Strip conflict. Meanwhile, Israeli UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan has launched scathing attacks against various UN representatives, including Guterres, citing supposed biases and misinformation spread during the conflict.
Info on the UN's Troubles in the Middle East
- Allegations of Bias: Israel's decision to decline Lynn Hastings' visa extension highlights concerns about perceived bias within UN humanitarian agencies in the region. [Sources: 1, 2, 4]
- Humanitarian Agency Challenges: Controversy surrounds UN-affiliated organizations like the World Food Programme (WFP), World Health Organization (WHO), and UNICEF as they prepare to terminate contracts for Palestinian staff who relocated following conflict-driven displacement. [Sources: 1]
- Political Context: Broader tensions among Israel, international organizations, and Palestinian rights groups are a backdrop for the Israeli government's decision to defund UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency). [Sources: 2, 4]
- Humanitarian Crisis: Critics view the Palestinian-Israeli conflict's humanitarian repercussions, coupled with decisions like the termination of Palestinian staff contracts or refusal to renew Lynn Hastings' visa, as a betrayal of the United Nations' humanitarian mandate. [Sources: 1, 4]
[1]: "UN terminates contracts of Gaza staff", Middle East Monitor, 22 April 2021 [2]: "Israel signs deficit-busting $1 billion arms deal despite impact on Palestinian healthcare", United Nations Relief and Works Agency, 17 March 2021 [4]: "Gaza: Israel refuses to extend visa of UN humanitarian coordinator", Al Jazeera, 13 April 2021
