Secretary-General António Guterres briefs reporters on the start of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. "UN week offers every possibility for dialogue and mediation. Every opportunity for forging solutions. Thousands of leaders’ meetings will take place. I will hold over 150 bilateral meetings myself. I will use every one of them to press leaders to contact each other, to speak directly with each other. To bridge divides. To reduce risks. To find solutions. To get serious," said the Secretary-General.
New York, January 14, 2026 (WAFA) – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he may refer the Israeli occupation authorities to the International Court of Justice if they do not repeal the laws targeting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and return the assets and properties they have seized .
In a letter dated January 8 to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Guterres said: “The United Nations cannot remain indifferent to the actions taken by Israel, which are in direct contravention of its obligations under international law and must be reversed without delay.”
Last month, the occupation authorities seized UNRWA headquarters in East Jerusalem, and yesterday they notified that electricity and water would be cut off from UNRWA buildings in Jerusalem.
It is worth noting that the Israeli Knesset passed a “law” in October 2024 prohibiting the agency from operating in Israel and preventing its officials from contacting the agency. This law was then amended last month to prohibit supplying UNRWA facilities with electricity or water .
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Dr.Th/E.R
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