Israel continued its war against the UN yesterday with the overwhelming passage of two bills intended to ban the operations of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. The media advisor to UNRWA, Adnan Abu Hasna, said that Israel’s decision to ban the organization’s operation inside the country will mean the collapse of the humanitarian process as a whole. Hasna described the decision as an “unprecedented” escalation while speaking to Qatar’s Al Jazeera Mubasher TV, reported Haaretz. Following the approval of the bills, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement in English on X, proclaiming that UNRWA workers were “involved in terrorist activities” against Israel and “must be held accountable.” He further claimed that Israel stands 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.”
UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini wrote on X: “This is the latest in the ongoing campaign to discredit UNRWA and delegitimize its role towards providing human-development assistance and services to Palestine Refugees.” He added that the bills “will only deepen the suffering of Palestinians.” Lazzarini also said the bills would “deprive over 650,000 girls & boys there from education, putting at risk an entire generation of children. These bills increase the suffering of the Palestinians & are nothing less than collective punishment. Putting an end to UNRWA & its services will not strip the Palestinians from their refugee status. That status is protected by another UN General Assembly resolution until a fair and lasting solution is found to the plight of the Palestinians.”
Israel’s Knesset acted despite international condemnation of the legislation, even from the Biden Administration. Prior to the approval of the bills, State Department spokesman Matt Miller said: “We’ve made quite clear to the government of Israel we are deeply concerned by this proposed legislation,” remarking that Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had raised the issue in their recent letter to Israeli counterparts regarding Israel’s blocking aid trucks from reaching Gaza. “Passage of the legislation could have implications under U.S. law and U.S. policy,” Miller declared.