The Israeli parliament has approved a second piece of legislation aimed at cutting ties with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and designating it as a terrorist organization. The bill prohibits Israeli officials from interacting with UNRWA staff and strips them of their legal immunity. This follows an earlier bill passed earlier this month, which banned all UNRWA activity on Israeli soil. The new legislation presents a significant threat to the already fragile aid distribution process in Gaza, where over 1.9 million Palestinians are displaced from their homes and facing widespread shortages of food, water, and medicine.
The Israeli parliament’s decision has sparked widespread criticism from international aid groups and some of Israel’s Western allies, including the United States. The US State Department has expressed deep concern over the legislation, citing the need for humanitarian aid in Gaza and the lack of an alternative agency to fill the void left by UNRWA. UNRWA provides crucial services such as education, healthcare, and basic necessities to millions of Palestinian refugees across the region, including in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Israel Cuts Ties with UN’s Gaza Aid Provider (Image via Getty)
The Israeli government’s decision to cut ties with UNRWA has been met with opposition from the agency itself, with UNRWA’s communications director, Juliette Touma, saying that the organization is the largest humanitarian organization in Gaza and no one can replace its job. The organization’s head, Philippe Lazzarini, has also accused the Israeli government of waging an ongoing campaign to discredit UNRWA and deepen the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.
Despite the criticism, Israeli officials have defended their decision, with one co-sponsor of the bill, Boaz Bismuth, claiming that UNRWA is not an aid agency for refugees, but rather an aid agency for Hamas, the militant group that has been accused of launching rockets at Israel. The Israeli government has also claimed that it is ready to work with international partners to ensure that humanitarian aid continues to reach civilians in Gaza, but it is not clear how this would happen once the new laws take effect.
The implications of the Israeli parliament’s decision are far-reaching and could have devastating consequences for Palestinians in Gaza. The flow of humanitarian aid to the region is already severely limited, and the elimination of UNRWA could further exacerbate the crisis. The decision also raises questions about the Israeli government’s commitment to upholding international law and protecting the human rights of Palestinians. As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens, it is imperative that the international community speaks out against this decision and works to restore UNRWA’s operations in the region.
