Israel parliament shuts down UN Palestinian refugee agency

Israel parliament shuts down UN Palestinian refugee agency | Daily Tribune

JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel’s parliament on Monday banned the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) from operating in the country and occupied east Jerusalem, despite objections from the international community.

Lawmakers passed the bill with 92 votes in favor and 10 against, after years of harsh Israeli criticism of UNRWA, which has only increased since the start of the war in Gaza following Hamas’s deadly 7 October attacks last year.

The ban on the UN agency — which has provided essential aid and assistance across Palestinian territories and to Palestinian refugees elsewhere for more than seven decades — would be a blow to humanitarian work in Gaza if implemented, according to experts.

UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini condemned the decision, saying it set “a dangerous precedent.”

“This is the latest in the ongoing campaign to discredit UNRWA... These bills will only deepen the suffering of Palestinians,” he wrote on X.

The move also brought condemnation and criticism from the governments of the United States, Britain and Germany, among others.

Ahead of the vote, the US said it was “deeply concerned” about the bill, reiterating the “critical” role the agency plays in distributing humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip.

Washington warned Israel on 15 October that it had 30 days to increase the amount of aid reaching the Gaza Strip or it would consider withholding some military assistance to its key ally.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain was “gravely concerned” as the legislation would make “UNRWA’s essential work for Palestinians impossible, jeopardizing the entire international humanitarian response in Gaza and delivery of essential health and education services in the West Bank.”

In January, Israel accused a dozen of UNRWA’s Gaza employees of involvement in the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas, which sparked the deadliest war in the territory.

‘This is the latest in the ongoing campaign to discredit UNRWA... These bills will only deepen the suffering of Palestinians.’

A series of probes found some “neutrality related issues” at UNRWA, and determined that nine employees “may have been involved” in the attack, but found no evidence for Israel’s central allegations.