Israeli parliament bans UNRWA

The Israeli parliament has approved a bill banning the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) from operating within Israeli territory.

Israel has banned the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) from operating on Israeli soil. In a vote held in the Israeli parliament, the decision to ban UNRWA from operating in Israeli territory was approved with 92 votes in favor and 10 against. The law prohibits UNRWA from opening any offices, providing services, or conducting any direct or indirect activities in Israel.

The lawmakers who drafted the bill cited the alleged involvement of some UNRWA employees in the events of October 7, 2023, and the membership of staff in Hamas and other armed groups as justification. Israeli lawmaker Sharren Haskel stated, “If the United Nations is not willing to cleanse this organization of terrorism, of Hamas supporters, then we have to take measures to ensure that they can never harm our people again. The international community could take responsibility and ensure that they use appropriate organizations to facilitate humanitarian aid, like the World Food Programme, like UNICEF, and others that work all over the world.”

"IT IS OUTRAGEOUS THAT A UN MEMBER STATE WOULD TRY TO DISMANTLE A UN AGENCY"

There are concerns that the law in question will affect UNRWA's work in the Gaza Strip. In a statement made before the vote, UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma described the proposed law as “catastrophic,” stating that it would have a serious impact on humanitarian aid operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Touma said, “We know that previous attempts to replace UNRWA and provide humanitarian aid have failed. It is outrageous that a UN member state would try to dismantle a UN agency that is the largest supporter of humanitarian aid operations in Gaza.”

UNRWA provides education, health, and aid services to millions of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria with its thousands of employees.