The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), established in 1949, has operated as a lifeline for Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and neighboring countries, providing essential services to over three million refugees. However, the Israeli parliament recently passed two controversial bills aimed at dismantling UNRWA’s ability to operate in Israel-controlled territories, threatening the distribution of critical aid to Palestinians amid an escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The legislation, which received significant support in Israel’s Knesset, is scheduled to take effect within 90 days. It bans UNRWA from conducting any operations in Israeli territories, including occupied regions like East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and designates the agency as a “terrorist organization.” The immediate implications of the ban have already alarmed humanitarian agencies and the international community, with concerns mounting over the agency’s ability to support those in desperate need.
The first bill passed by the Knesset prohibits UNRWA from performing any activities within areas controlled by Israel, including providing healthcare, education, and food assistance to Palestinian refugees. This bill passed overwhelmingly, 92-10, amidst heated debates. A second bill, passed 87-9, further intensifies the impact by declaring UNRWA a “terrorist organization” and severing all official Israeli contacts with the agency.
UNRWA’s operations in Gaza, the West Bank, and surrounding areas go beyond immediate relief efforts. The agency has long served as a primary provider of health and educational services, especially in Gaza, where economic blockade and conflict have left the region’s infrastructure in shambles. The agency employs roughly 13,000 staff in Gaza alone, providing stability and employment in an otherwise stagnant economy.
The new ban is expected to stymie UNRWA’s ability to deliver crucial services and strip Gaza’s refugees of access to healthcare, education, and food aid. Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA’s commissioner-general, warned, “This legislation sets a dangerous precedent” and will “only deepen the suffering of Palestinians.”
For over seven decades, UNRWA has provided critical services to Palestinians displaced in the wake of the Nakba in 1948 and the 1967 Six-Day War. The agency offers schooling, vocational training, and health services for Palestinians who lack access to resources. In Gaza alone, UNRWA educates more than 650,000 children, providing a semblance of stability in an area plagued by instability.
Healthcare in Gaza heavily depends on UNRWA, especially as the region’s medical facilities struggle under a lack of resources and consistent bombardment. The agency’s medical centers and mobile health units have become essential for treating everything from minor injuries to chronic illnesses, especially given the immense strain on Gaza’s hospitals.
As UNRWA is Gaza’s largest employer, its economic impact cannot be overstated. In an area with high unemployment rates, particularly among youth, the agency’s presence provides vital financial stability and livelihoods for thousands of Palestinian families.
UNRWA officials and human rights advocates worldwide have voiced significant concerns over Israel’s recent legislation. Lazzarini issued a strong condemnation, warning that these bills deepen “the ongoing campaign to discredit UNRWA and delegitimize its role.” The agency’s spokesperson, Juliette Touma, went further, calling the move “outrageous” and warning that “a member state of the United Nations” working against a UN agency “sets a troubling global precedent.”
International organizations such as Oxfam, Human Rights Watch, and ActionAid have issued a joint statement warning that “dismantling UNRWA would be catastrophic for Palestinians, especially in Gaza and the West Bank,” where it provides essential services to vulnerable populations. The United States, too, has expressed “grave concern” over the implications of the ban, with U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller affirming that UNRWA’s role is “irreplaceable.”
Israeli officials claim the ban was necessary due to alleged ties between UNRWA staff and Hamas, pointing to accusations that certain employees had indirect associations with the group. Israeli authorities also allege that Hamas assets were found near or under UNRWA facilities. Although UNRWA has staunchly denied these allegations and has policies to remove personnel linked to armed groups, Israel insists that these perceived ties pose a security threat.
Critics argue that Israel’s legislation violates international humanitarian law, including conventions established under the Genocide Convention and the Rome Statute. These legal frameworks are meant to protect civilian populations in conflict zones, including refugees, by guaranteeing them basic rights and access to essential services. Legal scholars point out that Israel’s latest move could threaten UNRWA’s mandate to uphold the UN-recognized right of return for Palestinian refugees displaced during the Nakba and the Six-Day War.
The ongoing genocide case against Israel, initiated by South Africa at the International Court of Justice, has highlighted the increasing international scrutiny of Israel’s actions in Gaza. With over 43,000 Palestinians reportedly killed and more than 100,000 wounded since the conflict reignited last October, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza remains dire.
Without UNRWA, Palestinians face severe limitations in accessing food, clean water, healthcare, and education. In Gaza, the agency’s absence would leave over half a million children without schooling, exacerbating long-term poverty and limiting economic opportunities. Healthcare services in the area, already strained, would collapse without UNRWA’s medical resources, mobile health units, and community health centers.
As Sally Abi Khalil of Oxfam stated, “Israel has bombed Palestinians to death, maimed them, starved them, and is now ridding them of their biggest lifeline of aid. Piece by piece, Israel is systemically dismantling Gaza as a land that is autonomous and livable for Palestinians.”
The international community has responded with strong calls for action to ensure humanitarian aid continues to reach Gaza. The Institute for Middle East Understanding has urged the Biden administration to impose an arms embargo on Israel to prevent further suffering. Similarly, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, condemned the legislation as a violation of “the fundamental principle of humanity” and called on Israel to reconsider its stance.
International organizations and human rights bodies are working to increase diplomatic pressure on Israel, arguing that the dismantling of UNRWA will further devastate Gaza’s already embattled population.
In a powerful closing statement, Philippe Lazzarini firmly stated the importance of UNRWA’s mission: “These bills will only deepen the suffering of Palestinians, especially in Gaza where people have been going through more than a year of sheer hell.”
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