Israel’s parliament passes laws banning Unrwa from operating inside Israel, occupied Palestine

The Israeli Knesset on Monday passed two laws banning the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) from operating inside Israel and occupied Palestine, despite a torrent of international pressure urging Israel not to pass the ban.

The laws would effectively ban Unrwa from being able to operate inside Israel, Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and occupied East Jerusalem.

Ninety-two members of the Knesset voted in favour of the legislation, while ten voted against it.

The first law says that Unrwa is not allowed to “operate any institution, provide any service, or conduct any activity, whether directly or indirectly”, in Israel, as reported by The Jerusalem Post. The second law states that no Israeli government official or agency may contact Unrwa, effectively prohibiting Israeli officials from providing services or dealing with Unrwa employees.

Unrwa is the primary source of humanitarian support for Palestinians in Palestine and neighbouring countries hosting Palestinian refugees.

Israel’s government has long been hostile towards Unrwa, and that hostility has been amplified since the beginning of the Israeli war on Gaza. In late January, Israel accused 12 Unrwa workers of involvement in the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel, alleging they had distributed ammunition and aided in civilian kidnappings.

A UN inquiry published in April found no evidence of wrongdoing by Unrwa staff, noting that Israel had neither responded to requests for names and information nor “informed Unrwa of any concrete concerns relating to Unrwa staff since 2011”.

Several countries suspended financing for the agency after Israel made the accusations. Most of those countries – Germany, Australia, Canada, Sweden, and Japan – resumed funding. The US, however, has held out on restoring funding to the agency.

On 10 October, Israel confiscated the land in Jerusalem where Unrwa headquarters is located, with plans to build 1,440 Israeli settlement units on the site, which are considered illegal under international law.

Earlier on Monday, the foreign ministers of seven of Israel’s allies issued a joint statement condemning an Israeli ban on Unrwa, saying the law could have “devastating consequences” in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.

“Without [Unrwa’s] work, the provision of such assistance and services, including education, healthcare, and fuel distribution in Gaza and the West Bank would be severely hampered if not impossible,” the statement said.

Unrwa’s media advisor said the Israeli parliament’s decision to ban Unrwa is an “unprecedented escalation”.

Just prior to the Knesset’s vote on the laws, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, warned the decision was in contradiction of international law. 

“All UN agencies embody the rules-based international order as they uphold and implement the UN Charter, to which all UN Member States must abide,” Borrell said.

Unrwa services have been severely disrupted since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October 2023.

At least 188 Unrwa installations, including shelters, schools and medical facilities, have been hit by Israeli forces, resulting in the deaths of 539 internally displaced people seeking help and refuge.