No UNRWA, no Palestinian refugees

Countries around the world and international organizations have criticized Israel’s move to ban the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), a move that will exacerbate the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories at all levels. The bill introduced in the Knesset, which stipulates classifying UNRWA as an "illegitimate" or even "terrorist" organization, will allow Israel to ban its work in areas under Israeli control. It seems that Israel is seeking to control the provision of humanitarian services to the Palestinians.

Israel believes that closing UNRWA may help it prevent "incitement" against it and strengthen its security control over the region. It justifies its efforts to ban UNRWA in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories by allegations linking some UNRWA employees to groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad, especially after the recent military escalation.

Undermining UNRWA’s role appears to be part of a broader goal by hardliners in Israel to diminish the Palestinian refugee issue. They see the continued work of UNRWA as keeping the refugee issue on the international agenda, so Israel seeks to have the international community direct its aid through alternative channels and other international bodies less associated with the term “refugees.”

Banning UNRWA’s work in Palestine, which was established by a UN resolution in 1949 to arrange the return of Palestinian refugees, will have serious humanitarian and social repercussions, especially in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The agency provides basic services such as education, health, and food aid to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, especially in light of the fragile economic situation in the region. Without UNRWA’s services, some 660,000 children in Gaza will be at risk of losing their chance at education, threatening the future of an entire generation.

This move will also lead to the interruption of health care provided by the agency, which is important for thousands of Palestinian families who depend on it, and it is expected that pressure will increase on already weak local services, which could exacerbate the humanitarian crisis and increase unemployment and poverty rates among Palestinian refugees.

UNRWA plays a vital role in social and economic stability within the Palestinian camps, so stopping its work will create a huge vacuum in humanitarian support, making Palestinians more vulnerable to health and social crises, and may increase the likelihood of security challenges.

Therefore, Arab countries, the international community, and the world are required to prevent such an inhumane and disastrous decision for Palestinian civilians. If there are errors or breaches in the agency's work, they can be addressed through the United Nations and the international community, as the draft law to ban UNRWA's activity sets a dangerous precedent and contradicts the United Nations Charter.