UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday strongly condemned the Israeli authorities' unlawful entry into a UN property in occupied East Jerusalem on Jan. 12 and the order of its temporary closure, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN chief, said in a statement.
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Jerusalem Health Centre, which serves hundreds of Palestine refugee patients every day, is, for most of them, their only possibility of having access to primary healthcare, the statement said.
The statement said the action follows the seizure by the Israeli authorities of the UNRWA Sheikh Jarrah compound and the adoption and amendment by the Israeli parliament of the Law to Cease UNRWA Operations in the Territory of the State of Israel. The secretary-general expressed his grave concerns to the Israeli prime minister and has brought those actions to the attention of the president of the UN General Assembly and the president of the Security Council.
The secretary-general is also deeply concerned that UNRWA has been informed that utility providers will soon cease supplying electricity and water services to multiple UNRWA facilities in occupied East Jerusalem, the statement added.
"These measures are a violation of the inviolability of United Nations premises, and an obstacle to the implementation of the clear mandate of the General Assembly for UNRWA's continued operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem," the statement said.
The secretary-general urged the Israeli government to immediately take steps to return and restore the UNRWA Sheikh Jarrah compound and the UNRWA Jerusalem Health Centre, and to ensure that essential utilities to UNRWA premises are maintained. ■
