Sinn Féin’s Declan Kearney has described Israel’s ban on UNWRA operating within Israeli occupied territories as a sadistic escalation in the ethnic cleansing and genocide of the Palestinian people.

The party’s National Chair said:

“The decision by Netanyahu’s government to ban UNWRA from operating within Israeli occupied Gaza and the West Bank is a sadistic escalation in the ethnic cleansing and genocide of the Palestinian people.

“This latest violation of international humanitarian law will effectively cut off the primary source of aid to the Palestinian people and intensify the immeasurable suffering of an already besieged and starving population.

“This is another affront to the United Nations, coming only weeks after the Israeli army’s blatant attack on UN peacekeeping forces in Southern Lebanon and demonstrates once again Netanyahu’s belief that, emboldened by the complicity of western global leaders, he is above the law.

“All right-minded people are sickened by the moral hypocrisy of those in the West. Their rhetorical censures of Netanyahu’s extremist government are meaningless.

“The orders from the ICJ in South Africa’s case against Israel under the Genocide Convention are clear.

“States must act to prevent genocide by Israel against Palestinians. They must ensure that they are not party to violation of the Genocide Convention by aiding or assisting in the commission of genocide.

“This appalling decision to again undermine and demonise the humanitarian work of UNWRA must be unambiguously opposed.

“It is a direct assault upon the multilateral system, and mandate of the United Nations. If Israel refuses to comply with the international rules-based order, then it should no longer hold the status of UN membership.”