From the Liveblog of
Sunday, June 11, 2017
UNRWA spokesman says only political solution can solve refugee issue
A spokesman for the United Nations refugee agency is rejecting a call from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to shut it down, calling instead for a political solution to the Palestinian refugee issue.
Netanyahu’s call came after UNRWA said last week it found a Hamas terror tunnel under two of its schools in the Gaza Strip.
“UNRWA’s mandate and our position is clear and unchanged. UNRWA receives its mandate from the UN General Assembly; and only the UN General Assembly, by a majority vote, can change our mandate,” says Agency spokesman Chris Gunness, noting that the current mandate runs until December 2019.
“The situation of Palestine refugees needs to be resolved as part of a political resolution of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians,” says Gunness. “It is time for political action to resolve this longstanding crisis.”
— Dov Lieber
The Times of Israel Community.