The Israeli parliament has approved two controversial bills aimed at banning the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) from operating on Israeli territory and in areas under Israeli control.
The legislation, passed Monday, risks derailing the already fragile aid distribution process at a time when the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is worsening and Israel is under increased pressure to allow aid to flow.
The ban is expected to take effect in 90 days and will result in the closure of UNRWA facilities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory – the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem – and Gaza, crippling the agency’s ability to fulfill its mandate as defined by the United Nations General Assembly in 1949.
UNRWA is the main humanitarian aid agency in Gaza, which has been devastated by more than a year of Israeli war. Hundreds of UNRWA workers have been killed in Israeli strikes, making it the deadliest conflict for UN workers.
The first law, which prohibits UNRWA from carrying out “any activity” or providing any service in Israel, was passed by 92 votes to 10 following a heated debate between the bill’s supporters and its opponents. , mainly members of Arab parliamentary parties.
The second law, which declared UNRWA a “terrorist” group and banned Israeli officials from any contact with the agency, was passed by 87 votes to 9.
“A dangerous precedent”
The UNRWA chief said the ban set “a dangerous precedent” and would “only worsen the suffering of Palestinians”.
“This is the latest in the ongoing campaign to discredit UNRWA… These bills will only worsen the suffering of Palestinians,” the agency’s director, Philippe Lazzarini, said on x.
Earlier, an UNRWA spokesperson described the decision as “scandalous”.
“It is scandalous that a United Nations member state is trying to dismantle a UN agency that also happens to be the largest player in the humanitarian operation in Gaza,” Juliette Touma told the agency. AFP press.
UNRWA media adviser Adnan Abu Hasna said Israel’s decision to ban the organization would mean the collapse of the entire humanitarian process.
Speaking to Tel Aviv Tribune, Hasna described the decision as an “unprecedented” escalation.
The UN agency has provided essential aid and assistance throughout the Palestinian territory – including the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem, as well as to Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria – for more than seven decades.
It has been the subject of harsh Israeli criticism for years, which intensified after the start of Israel’s deadly assault on the besieged Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian presidency condemned the ban, saying it would not allow such a measure.
“We reject and condemn this legislation… We will not allow this… The overwhelming vote of the so-called Knesset (the Israeli parliament) shows the transformation of Israel into a fascist state,” declared Nabil Abu Rudeineh, presidential spokesperson in Ramallah. a declaration.
“Serious concern”
Tel Aviv Tribune’s Nour Odeh, speaking live from Amman, Jordan, said it would “deprive around 3 million Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza of any services provided by UNRWA.”
“UNRWA provides education, health services and vocational training to Palestinian refugees. It’s a gigantic operation in the Palestinian territory and it employs 13,000 people in Gaza alone,” Odeh said.
Israel alleged that some of the thousands of UNRWA personnel participated in the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023. It also said that hundreds of its employees had ties to the group and that the Israeli military discovered Hamas assets near or under UNRWA facilities.
The agency denies knowingly aiding armed groups and says it is acting quickly to eliminate any suspected combatants from its ranks.
The bills, which do not contain provisions allowing alternative organizations to oversee its work, have been sharply criticized by international humanitarian groups and a handful of Israel’s Western allies.
The United States said it was “deeply concerned” about the bill. “We have made it clear to the Israeli government that we are deeply concerned about this situation,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters, reiterating the “critical” role the agency plays in distributing humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the ban would “de facto make UNRWA’s vital operations in Gaza impossible and seriously hamper its provision of services in the West Bank.”
In an article on X, he said the legislation was “in flagrant contradiction with international law and the fundamental principle of humanity.”
Israeli aid slows down
Before the legislation was passed, the foreign ministers of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom issued a statement expressing “grave concern.”
“It is crucial that UNRWA and other UN organizations and agencies are fully able to provide humanitarian aid and assistance to those most in need, effectively fulfilling their mandate,” the statement said.
UNRWA and other humanitarian agencies have accused Israel of severely restricting the flow of aid to Gaza, where almost all of the enclave’s 2.4 million people have been displaced at least once since October. ‘last year. More than 43,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to health authorities.
Israeli forces continued to close vital border crossings, including Rafah, barring the entry of humanitarian aid, including food, medicine and much-needed fuel, into the bombed territory. In northern Gaza, a total siege lasting more than 20 days has left hospitals on the verge of collapse and some 400,000 people without access to basic necessities.
UNRWA itself has suffered heavy losses since last year, with at least 233 of its personnel killed and two-thirds of the agency’s installations in Gaza damaged or destroyed since the start of the war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose administration has limited aid to Gaza, has pledged to provide humanitarian aid to the Palestinians after the ban.
“Sustained humanitarian assistance must remain available to Gaza now and in the future… We stand ready to work with our international partners to ensure that Israel continues to facilitate humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza in a manner that does not threaten not the security of Israel,” Netanyahu said. an article on X.