What does the law say?
the billwas overwhelmingly approved by Israeli lawmakers (92 in favor, 10 against) on Monday, would prohibit the country’s authorities from having any contact with Israel. UNRWAand bans the agency from operating within Israel itself.
Delivering aid into Gaza and the West Bank requires close coordination between UNRWA and Israeli authorities. If the law is implemented, Israel will no longer issue work or entry permits to its employees, and coordination with the Israeli military, which is essential for the safe delivery of aid , will no longer be possible.
Why were these bills passed?
Israeli politicians have long criticized UNRWA, some saying its members colluded with Hamas. Those claims, rejected by the agency, have grown louder since the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel, in which more than 1,130 people were killed.
In recent months, several senior Israeli government officials have denounced UNRWA, including former Ambassador describe the agency is “a Palestinian organization fully committed to the destruction of the Jewish State”. The day before the vote, one of the politicians behind the bill reportedly said that UNRWA “is educating children to hate Israel and spreading anti-Semitism.”
However, an independent assessment by the United Nations in April confirm UNRWA’s long-standing commitment to upholding the principle of humanitarian neutrality and concluding that the Agency has a more developed approach to neutrality than similar United Nations organizations or non-governmental organizations.
At one briefing arrive Security Council That month, UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini explained that the agency was the “backbone” of the entire aid operation in Gaza, in the face of an “insidious campaign” by Israeli authorities to push it out. from occupied Palestinian territory. territories.
UNRWA staff played a central role in the recent polio vaccination drive in Gaza.
What is UNRWA’s role in the occupied Palestinian territories?
UNRWA was established soon after the United Nations was founded by General Assembly Resolution 302 (IV)after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, to provide “direct relief and employment programs” to registered Palestinian refugees, defined as “persons whose usual place of residence is Palestine between June 1, 1946 and May 15, 1948, and those who lost both their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 War.”
For decades, the agency has provided essential humanitarian services to Palestinian refugees in Israeli-controlled areas, especially in the occupied Palestinian territories (West Bank and Gaza Strip). These include medical centers, schools and vocational training centers.
How did the United Nations react to the passage of this law?
The response from the United Nations system to the bills was swift and clear. When the news was announced on Monday, some of the United Nations’ most senior officials, including Secretary-General António Guterres, condemned decision.
Mr. Guterres emphasized UNRWA’s central role in providing aid and said the ban would have “devastating consequences.” The acting head of the UN’s aid coordination office, Joyce Msuya, called the decision “dangerous and outrageous”, while Mr Lazzarini said the bills would “increase human suffering”. Palestine and is nothing less than a collective punishment.”
Condemnation continue on Tuesday, with the United Nations human rights office (OHCHR) spokesman Jeremy Laurence, declared that aid delivery would “stagnant” without UNRWA, and World Health Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, called the development “unacceptable”. UNICEF Head Catherine Russell also reminded that UNRWA plays an important role in providing life-saving aid to Palestinian children and families. “This decision is dangerous. The lives and futures of Palestinian children are at stake,” while James Elder, a UNICEF Area employees denounced the decision speak “A new way has been found to kill children.”
What happens next?
Following the announcement, the humanitarian affairs coordination office (OCHA) spokesman Jens Laerke emphasize that the United Nations was trying to “not implement” the Knesset’s decision, citing a wave of opposition not only from the United Nations but also from “prominent government officials… and heads of state “.
Many families are taking shelter in UNRWA school buildings.
Mr. Guterres announced Chairman of the General Assembly that he wrote a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling on his government to continue allowing UNRWA to operate and to respect Israel’s obligations under international law.
And, on Wednesday, members of the Security Council came together to issue a strong statement warning oppose any attempt to dismantle or reduce the activities and mandate of UNRWA, express deep concern about the passage of the law and record their appreciation for the work of agency member.
If passage of the bills continues unimpeded, they will take effect within 90 days of passage.
Children attend class at a UNRWA-supported school in the Gaza Strip in 1954. (file)
What UNRWA built: photo essay
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) was established by the General Assembly on 8 December 1949 to carry out relief programs and direct work for refugees. Palestine, after the 1948 war. The agency began operations on 1 May 1950.
Its services include education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance, including during times of disaster. out armed conflict.
When the United Nations agency began operations in 1950, it met the needs of some 750,000 Palestinian refugees. Today, approximately 5.9 million Palestinian refugees in the occupied Palestinian territories, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria are eligible to receive UNRWA services.
This UN photo essay documents the important work the agency has done in the region over the past 74 years.
