{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://delauro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/delauro-statement-israel-banning-unrwa", "DeLauro Statement on Israel Banning UNRWA", "2024-10-29", "2024", "2024-10", "Democrat", "House", "CT", "Rosa L. DeLauro", "D000216", "delauro.house.gov", "delauro", "https://delauro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "Today, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) released a statement in response to Israel\u2019s parliament passing legislation to ban the United Nation\u2019s Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA):\n\n\u201cThe United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) is indispensable in addressing Gaza\u2019s humanitarian crisis, as well as maintaining stability in the West Bank. Israel\u2019s decision to enact legislation to halt UNRWA operations and cease all cooperation is dangerous, short-sighted, and would leave innocent Palestinians even more vulnerable to the devastating impacts of this war. At a time when we are already failing to meet the urgent needs of Gazans, this action further undermines UNRWA, fosters distrust in our international institutions, and fuels animosity toward Israel from its neighbors. This crisis is costing far too many innocent lives, including at least 60 people \u2013 mostly women and children \u2013 killed in a single strike on Tuesday in northern Gaza. The toll on civilian lives is tragic and underscores the need for uninterrupted humanitarian support.\n\n\u201cAs nearly 2 million Gazans continue to face starvation, this action would intensify an already dire crisis. It further threatens the health of Gazans, interrupting vital healthcare efforts, such as the World Health Organization\u2019s polio vaccination campaign, which depends on UNRWA infrastructure and support and Israeli cooperation. Further destabilized Palestinian communities and friction with the United Nations jeopardizes regional security and isolates Israel globally.\n\n\u201cUNRWA must be able to continue its lifesaving work. The agency has expressed commitment to working with Israel to ensure that its operations are not used by Hamas. Our focus should be placed on the proposed reforms laid out in the Colonna Report to ensure the organization\u2019s neutrality in a difficult working environment, not scapegoating a critical humanitarian actor.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://delauro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/delauro-statement-israel-banning-unrwa"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5778960660099983, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}