Palestinian sources revealed Thursday that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (Unrwa) had retired Commissioner General Peter Hansen after having reached the legal retirement age, despite that Hansen's term was widely expected to be extended. Although Hansen was reportedly surprised by Unrwa's sudden decision, he will abide by the agency's instructions and retire in March after nine years of service.
According to the sources, Hansen was paying the price for his criticism of Israeli attacks in the Palestinian territories. Hansen has repeatedly denounced Israeli policy and urged the international community to stop Israel's aggression and help the Palestinian people rebuild their country. In a meeting with a delegation from the Palestinian Popular Committees in Lebanon at the Unrwa offices in Beirut, Hansen indirectly attributed the ending of his term to international pressure by "some" donor and state members - hinting at the United States - about his stands in support of Palestinian rights. Hansen said that the U.S. Congress had finally tilted the scales of balance after he refused to comply with their advice to refrain from condemning Israeli policy at a time when representatives of European states wanted to extend his term. |