Rubio assures that UNRWA 'is not going to play any role' in Gaza's future
During his visit to Israel, the secretary traveled to the new Civil-Military Coordination Center that organizes the delivery of aid to the Gaza Strip.
Rubio at the Civil-Military Coordination Center.
The secretary of state, Marco Rubio, assured that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in Palestine (UNRWA) "is not going to play any role" in the delivery of humanitarian aid in Gaza.
Rubio described the organization as "a subsidiary of Hamas" Friday during a press briefing at the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) in Israel, established a week ago as the focal point for aid delivery.
The high-ranking Cuban-American official highlighted the work of different collaborating countries and participating organizations, such as Samaritan's Purse.
Despite rejecting UNRWA's participation, he did not say the same about the United Nations. "The UN is here," he said, "we’re seeing the work they’re doing [with] the World Food Program."
He also said he wanted to set foot in the JCCC to "get a sense of the workflow, get a sense of the organization and get a sense of the needs" and celebrated that aid is already flowing into the Strip.
UNRWA was harshly questioned over the past few years due to reports of its ties to Hamas:
"I think we have a lot to be proud of in the first 10 days, 11 days, 12 days of implementation, where we have faced real challenges along the way," he also maintained about Trump's peace deal. "There’s going to be ups and downs and twists and turns. But I think we have a lot of reason for healthy optimism about the progress that’s being made."
"We are committed to making that work and we’re committed to ensuring that every one of these points is lived up to," he added. "But it’s not going to be an easy ride. There are going to be bumps along the road, but we have to make it work."
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