Israel: International Outrage over UNRWA Ban

The Knesset, Israel’s parliament, has passed laws declaring two orders contradicting the UN Agency for the Relief and Employment of Palestinian Refugees in the Middle East (UNRWA), effectively preventing the UN agency from operating in the territory. Specifically, by an overwhelming majority vote (87 to 9), all ties to the agency were severed. The decision is motivated by Israel accusing the organization of pandering to Hamas and alleging that some of its representatives participated in the October 7, 2023 attacks.

The decision was met with international outrage, starting with Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the agency, who called the vote “scandalous, which further aggravated the suffering of the Palestinian population.” UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed “deep concern” that if the laws are implemented, “it is likely that the agency will not be able to continue its important work in the occupied Palestinian territories.”

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also spoke of the “catastrophic consequences” associated with the decision: “The EU calls on the Israeli authorities to ensure that UNRWA can continue to carry out its important work in accordance with the mandate adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. UNRWA provides essential services to millions of people in Gaza, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and throughout the region, including Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan, and is a pillar of regional stability.”

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller asked Israel not to enforce the law, expressing “strong US concern” given the agency’s crucial role in distributing humanitarian aid.

Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, emphasized that UNRWA provides assistance in accordance with the General Assembly mandate and is the backbone of humanitarian aid in Gaza, and disapproved of the fact that Israel, ignoring strong international opposition, passed two bills, which sought to restrict and close the agency.