Israel sparks world ire after Knesset bans UNRWA

By AFP/Anna Maria Jakubek with Chloe Rouveyrolles-Bazire

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

Lawmakers passed the bill with 92 votes in favour 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 October 7 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 United States 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 October 15 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, jeopardising the entire international humanitarian response in Gaza and delivery of essential health and education services in the West Bank".

'No place for Jewish enemies'

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

A series of probes found some "neutrality related issues" at UNRWA, and determined that nine employees "may have been involved" in the October 7 attack, but found no evidence for Israel's central allegations.

"There is a deep connection between the terrorist organisation (Hamas) and UNRWA, and Israel cannot put up with it," Yuli Edelstein, a lawmaker from Netanyahu's ruling Likud party and one of the sponsors of the bill, said in parliament as he presented the proposal.

"There is no place for enemies in the heart of the capital of the Jewish people."

Israel claims the whole of Jerusalem, including the annexed east, as its indivisible capital.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said "UNRWA workers involved in terrorist activities against Israel must be held accountable" but added that "sustained humanitarian aid must remain available in Gaza".

"We stand ready to work with our international partners to ensure Israel continues to facilitate humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza in a way that does not threaten Israel's security," he said on X.

Palestinian group Hamas reacted with fury to the ban.

"We consider this part of the Zionist war and aggression against our people," Hamas said in a statement.

The Palestinian presidency condemned the move and said it confirmed "Israel's transformation into a fascist state".

The German government "sharply" criticised the bill while the governments of Ireland, Norway, Spain and Slovenia -- which have all recognised a Palestinian state -- issued a joint statement condemning the move.

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said UNRWA provided "an irreplaceable lifeline to the Palestinian people" and warned of the "devastating consequences" of implementing the bill.

"This is intolerable. It contravenes Israel's obligations and responsibilities, and threatens the lives and health of all those who depend on UNRWA," he wrote on X.

No operations in Israel

The ban, which enters into force in 90 days, would effectively prevent UNRWA from operating in Israel and also target its operations in east Jerusalem, where it currently provides some essential services such as cleaning, education and healthcare in certain neighbourhoods.

It is also feared that UNRWA employees in the West Bank could potentially face problems moving from one place to another as well as accessing east Jerusalem or Israel because they would lose their ability to coordinate with the Israeli authorities to cross checkpoints.

The same fears apply to visas and permits delivered by Israeli authorities.

UNRWA and other humanitarian agencies have accused Israeli authorities of restricting aid flows into Gaza, where almost all of the territory's 2.4 million people have been displaced at least once during the war.

The agency itself has suffered heavy losses, with at least 223 of its staff killed and two-thirds of the agency's facilities in Gaza damaged or destroyed since the war began.

The war in Gaza erupted with Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 43,020 people in Gaza, a majority of them women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry, figures that the UN considers reliable.

UNRWA was created in 1949 to support Palestinian refugees in the Middle East.