Ankara: Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee called for an immediate cessation of Israeli actions targeting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

According to Anadolu Agency, McEntee expressed Ireland’s full support for UNRWA and its mission. She urged Israel to respect international law, which includes honoring the privileges and immunities of the United Nations and its personnel. This statement followed the forcible entry by Israeli forces into the UNRWA headquarters in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem on January 20, where the facility was demolished using bulldozers and heavy machinery.

McEntee expressed her dismay at the destructive actions undertaken by Israeli authorities, highlighting that these were not isolated incidents. She emphasized that such measures are part of a broader and ongoing effort to undermine and dismantle UNRWA’s operations across the occupied Palestinian territory.

She further stated that any actions obstructing the critical work of UNRWA and other UN agencies exacerbate the humanitarian crisis and endanger civilian lives. McEntee pointed out that international law clearly mandates the protection of humanitarian aid workers, journalists, and medics during times of conflict, and condemned the continued endangerment of these individuals while they perform their essential duties.