Israel’s Parliament Votes to Ban UNRWA Operations

On Monday evening, Israel’s parliament approved a measure prohibiting the United Nations’ Palestinian refugee agency (Unrwa) from conducting operations within Israel and occupied East Jerusalem. This legislative action will also forbid interaction between Unrwa personnel and Israeli officials, thereby impeding the agency’s operational capacity in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The agency’s aid and services are crucial for nearly the entire population of Gaza, which exceeds two million individuals. This decision has drawn extensive criticism, with Unrwa cautioning that the new legislation might cause aid distribution networks to “fall apart” in the upcoming weeks. Israel has justified its action by reiterating its claim that several agency employees participated in Hamas’s 7 October attacks last year, which resulted in 1,200 fatalities. Nevertheless, Israel’s objections to Unrwa have a long history, spanning several decades. Established in 1949 as the Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, or Unrwa, its mandate covers Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. Initially, it provided assistance to 700,000 Palestinians who were displaced from or fled their residences following the establishment of the state of Israel. Over many years, Unrwa has expanded to become the largest UN agency active in Gaza, employing approximately 13,000 individuals and playing a vital role in humanitarian initiatives. Its funding predominantly comes from voluntary contributions by UN member states, supplemented by some direct funds from the UN itself. The agency is responsible for aid distribution and the management of shelters and essential infrastructure, including medical facilities, teacher training centers, and nearly 300 primary schools. Since the commencement of the conflict in Gaza, the agency reports having provided food parcels to almost 1.9 million individuals. Additionally, it has conducted nearly six million medical consultations throughout the enclave during the ongoing conflict. According to Unrwa, over 200 of its staff members have died in Israeli attacks since October 2023 while performing their duties. Unrwa has consistently faced criticism from Israel, where many express opposition to its fundamental existence. The status of refugees constitutes a central point of contention in the Arab-Israeli conflict, as Palestinians maintain aspirations of returning to their residences in historic Palestine, portions of which are currently within Israel. Israel refutes this claim and faults Unrwa’s structure for permitting refugee status to be passed down through generations. It contends that this practice solidifies Palestinians’ refugee status and fosters their expectations of a right of return. Furthermore, the Israeli government has frequently condemned the agency’s educational content and textbooks, asserting that they promote anti-Israel perspectives. In 2022, an Israeli monitoring group reported that Unrwa’s educational resources instructed students that Israel was endeavoring to “erase Palestinian identity”. The European Commission identified what it termed “anti-Semitic material” within the schoolbooks, “including even incitement to violence,” and the European Parliament has consistently urged that European Union funding for the Palestinian Authority be made contingent upon the removal of such content. Unrwa has previously stated that accounts concerning its educational materials were “inaccurate and misleading” and that a significant number of the books cited were not utilized in its educational institutions. Following the Hamas attacks on Israel on 7 October, accusations regarding the involvement of some Unrwa personnel intensified demands within Israel for the agency’s prohibition. The military asserted that over 450 Unrwa staff members were affiliated with “terrorist organisations.” Subsequent to these allegations, approximately 16 Western nations temporarily halted financial support for the humanitarian agency. The United Nations conducted an inquiry into Israel’s assertion and dismissed nine individuals, but it indicated that Israel had not presented proof for additional allegations, and Unrwa disavowed any broader connection with Hamas. On Monday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated these allegations, stating on X that “Unrwa workers involved in terrorist activities against Israel must be held accountable.” In accordance with the new legislation, which received approval from 92 Members of Parliament and was opposed by only 10, communication between Unrwa staff and Israeli officials will be prohibited. Although the majority of Unrwa’s initiatives are conducted in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, its operations depend on agreements with Israel, including the transit of aid through checkpoints connecting Israel and Gaza. In conjunction with the Palestinian Red Crescent, Unrwa manages nearly all aid distribution in Gaza via 11 centers throughout the enclave. Furthermore, it delivers services to 19 refugee camps in the West Bank. William Deere, Unrwa director, informed the BBC that, from a practical standpoint, the prohibition on engaging with Israeli officials would render it nearly unfeasible for the agency’s personnel to function within the country. He stated, “We won’t be able to move in Gaza without being subject to possible attack, international staff won’t be able to get visas any longer.” Cindy McCain, the executive director of the UN’s World Food Programme, conveyed to the BBC that without Unrwa’s operational presence in Gaza, other aid organizations would be incapable of distributing vital food and medical supplies. She remarked, “They do all the work on the ground there. We don’t have the contacts. We don’t have the ability to get to know the contacts, because things are so intensely difficulty there.” Prime Minister Netanyahu declared on Monday that “sustained humanitarian aid must remain available in Gaza” despite the Unrwa ban, adding that Israel intended to collaborate with its international partners to guarantee this. However, also on Monday, the U.S. State Department asserted that Israel needs to do “much more” to facilitate the entry of international aid into Gaza. This caution was issued two weeks after the U.S. had given Israel a 30-day period to increase supplies, or face the potential reduction of some military assistance.