<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON: US Senator Chris Van Hollen has refuted Israel\u2019s allegation that the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA is a proxy for Hamas, arguing that the accusations by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are \u201cflat-out lies.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Maryland Democrat is among a group of senators who demanded last week that US President Joe Biden comply with the Foreign Assistance Act and cut off military aid to Israel. They argued that Section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act requires the Biden administration to stop the sale and transfer of weapons to Israel if Netanyahu\u2019s government continues to block humanitarian assistance to Gaza.<\/p>\n
In an interview with CBS<\/em> Face the Nation on Sunday, Senator Van Hollen said he believes Netanyahu\u2019s claims about UNRWA being a proxy for Hamas are false. \u201cOh, there\u2019s no doubt that the claim is a flat-out lie,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n The US lawmaker argues that the Israeli prime minister is using the allegation to dismantle UNRWA. \u201cNetanyahu has wanted to get rid of UNRWA since at least 2017. That\u2019s been his goal, not just in Gaza, but also in the other places (as well),\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Explaining why he opposes the ban on UNRWA, Van Hollen argues that UNRWA provides the primary distribution system for food and aid in Gaza. \u201cIf you cut off funding for UNRWA and Gaza entirely, it means more people will starve, more people won\u2019t get the medical assistance they need. And so it would be a huge mistake to cut them off.\u201d<\/p>\n The senator says that Netanyahu has been opposed to a two-state solution, and that\u2019s why he is trying to ban UNRWA. \u201cNetanyahu has wanted to get rid of UNRWA because he has seen them as a means to continue the hopes of the Palestinian people for a homeland of their own. And he has been opposed to a two-state solution,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Senator Van Hollen also emphasises the need for a ceasefire in Gaza and the return of hostages. \u201cWe need to focus on getting the hostages back and a ceasefire. And this is why I\u2019m for a ceasefire and the return of the hostages,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He recalls that the Biden administration has already put forward a National Security Memorandum requiring countries to certify compliance with US law. And this, he says, \u201cis a very important tool that \u2026 applies to Israel and any other country that receives US military assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n Pointing out that Israel is not in compliance with US law as of March 24, the senator says he wants to restrict military aid to Israel if they do not comply. \u201cSo, it\u2019s not a total cut off. I mean, the Netanyahu government can open the Erez Crossing to help starving people in northern Gaza. They can stop turning away maternity kits, \u2026 they could stop turning away water purifiers.\u201d<\/p>\n He rejects Israel\u2019s claim that such tools \u201cposed a dual-use danger that they could be used for military purposes. Explaining why he believes Netanyahu\u2019s claim about UNRWA is \u201ca flat-out lie,\u201d he says: \u201cIf you look at the person who\u2019s in charge of operations on the ground in Gaza for UNRWA, it\u2019s a 20-year US Army veteran. You can be sure he is not in cahoots with Hamas.\u201d<\/p>\n Refuting Netanyahu\u2019s arguments about UNRWA, Van Hollen says if 14 of those 13,000 people who carried out the October 7th raid on Israel were from UNRWA, they should be held accountable.<\/p>\n \u201cFor goodness sake, let\u2019s not hold 2 million innocent Palestinian civilians who are dying of starvation, let\u2019s not hold them, essentially, accountable for the bad acts of 14 people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2024<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" WASHINGTON: US Senator Chris Van Hollen has refuted Israel\u2019s allegation that the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA is a proxy for Hamas, arguing that the accusations by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are \u201cflat-out lies.\u201d The Maryland Democrat is among a group of senators who demanded last week that US President Joe Biden comply with 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