UNRWA official: providing services would be 'very difficult' if water and electricity are cut off

Описание: (7 Jan 2026)
WEST BANK UNRWA

SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS

RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

LENGTH: 1:48

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Qalandia refugee camp, West Bank - 6 January 2026
1. Various of entrance of training center, sign showing logo of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA
2. Acting chef of UNRWA in Jerusalem Nazmi al-Risheq walking in the training center
3. Various of automotive mechanics training hall at center
4. UNRWA document on a desk
5. Al-Risheq speaking to media
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Nazmi al-Risheq, acting chef of UNRWA in Jerusalem:
"We are talking about the legislation of the new Knesset that has been adopted in the second or third reading last week. It's a very serious bill. It will affect the Qalandia training center and the headquarters of UNRWA in Sheikh Jarrah, and other installations in East Jerusalem. So this is very serious. This is not going along with the international law and with the immunities and privileges of UNRWA as part of the United Nations."

7. People walking towards building at training center
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Nazmi al-Risheq, acting chef of UNRWA in Jerusalem:
"The risks of cutting water and electricity to East Jerusalem installations is very serious because water and electricity are very essential to providing the health services in East Jerusalem and also here, the education. So without water and electricity, it will be very difficult to do or running the service and providing the essential services of health and education to our refugees in the West Bank."

9. Wide of building of training center
10. Close of UNRWA sign
11. Wide of training center entrance
STORYLINE:
The Jerusalem’s acting chief of the U.N. Agency for Palestinian Refugees UNRWA said the agency's work is threatened once again by a recent Israeli legislation to cut the supply of electricity and water in the facilities its operates.

The bill was approved by the Knesset the Israeli parliament the last week of December.

"It's a very serious bill," said Nazmi al-Risheq, speaking on Tuesday during a tour of the vocational training center in Qalandia that could be affected by the new legislation.

"This is not going along with the international law and with the immunities and privileges of UNRWA as part of the United Nations.” he added.

Earlier last year, Israel banned the agency from operating on its territory.

The ban followed months of attacks on the agency from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right allies, who claimed the agency is deeply infiltrated by Hamas. UNRWA rejected that claim. The top U.N. agency working with Palestinians, has denied knowingly aiding armed groups and says it acts quickly to purge any suspected militants.

Then, UN officials and Israeli authorities said the ban aimed to put an end to the agency’s work in east Jerusalem — which Palestinians claim for their future state and which Israel annexed after the 1967 Mideast war in a move not recognized by much of the international community.

Palestinian residents of east Jerusalem, have long complained of neglect by Israeli municipal authorities, and depend mainly in UNRWA services.

"The risks of cutting water and electricity to East Jerusalem installations is very serious because water and electricity are very essential to providing the health services in East Jerusalem,” al-Risheq said.

UNRWA provides aid and services — including health and education — to some 2.5 million Palestinian refugees in Gaza and the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, as well as 3 million more in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon.


AP video shot by Imad Isseid



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