Israel's relationship with the United Nations has deteriorated during the recent conflict with Hamas. Amir Weissbrod, Deputy Director General of Israel's Foreign Ministry, stated that the war marked a significant turning point in their ties with specific UN organizations. He criticized UN Women, UNICEF, and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for what he perceived as biased behavior. Weissbrod accused these agencies of insufficiently condemning gender violence by Hamas against Israeli women and criticized OCHA for partial reporting on the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The conflict resulted in casualties on both sides, and Israel expressed disappointment with what it perceived as a lack of fairness and empathy from the UN. Israel has also stated it will only cooperate with a neutral inquiry regarding war crimes, refusing to engage with any investigation it deems not impartial.
Key Points
1. Israel's relationship with the United Nations has deteriorated since the recent conflict with Hamas, marking a significant shift in their interactions.
2. Amir Weissbrod, Deputy Director General of Israel's Foreign Ministry, expressed dissatisfaction with specific UN organizations, namely UN Women, UNICEF, and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), accusing them of biased behavior.
3. Weissbrod criticized UN Women and UNICEF for not sufficiently condemning gender violence by Hamas against Israeli women during attacks on agricultural communities in October.
4. He accused OCHA of "partial reporting" on the humanitarian situation and aid distribution in Gaza, suggesting a lack of fairness in their assessments.
5. Israel faced criticism for its retaliatory airstrikes and ground offensive in Gaza, resulting in a humanitarian crisis, with over 17,000 Palestinians killed, according to Hamas-run Health Ministry figures.
6. The UN has initiated a commission of inquiry to collect evidence of war crimes committed by all sides since October 7, 2023, in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.
7. Israel has expressed its refusal to cooperate with any fact-finding mission that is not perceived as neutral and impartial.
8. Weissbrod emphasized the expectation of fairness and empathy from the UN but raised concerns about delayed responses and visits by UN envoys to affected areas in southern Israel.
9. Investigations are ongoing regarding violent sexual crimes on October 7, with Israel yet to decide on a larger legal approach.
10. UN special rapporteur on human rights is expected to visit Israel in the coming weeks as tensions and challenges persist in the region.
(With Agency Inputs)
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