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The US Secretary of State has said that the United Nations agency for Palestinians UNRWA will play no role in Aid to Gaza under Donald Trump’s ceasefire planAccused it of being a “subsidiary of Hamas”.
marco rubio Said there would be a group of a dozen Involved in aid efforts in GazaAlso included from united nations and other humanitarian organizations.
“The United Nations is here, they are on the ground, We are ready to work with them if they can make it successful,” Rubio said during a news conference at the US headquarters in Kiryat Gat. “But not UNRWA. UNRWA became a subsidiary of Hamas.”
Earlier this week the International Court of Justice said israel The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) should be allowed to provide humanitarian assistance in the Palestinian territories. It said there was no evidence that UNRWA violated impartiality rules, as Israel has claimed.
UNRWA has not responded directly to Rubio’s comments, but posted several statements on social media on Friday highlighting the role it played in it.
,The International Court of Justice recognizes that no organization can replace UNRWA’s role in supporting the people of Gaza. UNRWA’s presence remains vital to meeting urgent humanitarian needs in the occupied Palestinian territory,” one post read.
Israel has not allowed UNRWA to bring in its supplies since March. But the agency continues to operate GazaRunning health centres, mobile medical teams, sanitation services and school classes for children. He says he has 6,000 truckloads of supplies waiting to arrive.
During his visit to the center overseeing the Gaza ceasefire, Rubio touched on the possibility of the ceasefire breaking down, while refusing to say whether Israel would need US ‘permission’ to resume fighting against Hamas.
He stressed that the US ceasefire plan was widely supported in the region, and said it was “the only plan” currently on the table.
“We are all committed to implementing this plan,” he said. “There is no Plan B. This is the best plan. This is the only plan. This is the only plan we think can succeed.”
He stressed that despite recent tensions over the release of hostages, the provision of aid in Gaza, and Israeli air strikes, the administration still feels the plan is “on track for success.”
Rubio was the latest in a series of top US officials to visit the center for civil and military coordination. Vice President J.D. Vance was there earlier this week to announce its opening, and envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were also in Israel.
“I think we have a lot to be proud of in the first 10 days, 11 days, 12 days of implementation, where we’ve faced real challenges along the way,” Rubio said.
The United States is now seeking support from other allies, particularly Gulf Arab countries, to create an international stabilization force to deploy in Gaza and train the Palestinian force.
Rubio said U.S. officials were working on possible language to secure a U.N. mandate or other international authorization for the force in Gaza because many potential participants would need one before participating.
He said many countries have expressed interest and a decision needs to be taken about the terms of participation.
He said such countries need to know what they are signing up for, including “what is their mandate, what is their order, what authority are they going to operate under, who is going to be in charge of it, what is their job?”
He also said that Israel needs to be comfortable with the countries participating.