Israel bans UN aid agency UNRWA from operating in Israel

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JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel passed a law on Monday banning the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA from operating in the country, legislation that could impact its work in war-torn Gaza.

The lawmakers who drafted the law cited what they described as the involvement of some UNRWA staffers in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel and staffers having membership in Hamas and other armed groups.

The legislation has alarmed the United Nations and some of Israel’s Western allies who fear it would further worsen the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where Israel has been fighting Hamas militants for a year. The ban does not refer to operations in the Palestinian territories or elsewhere.

“UNRWA workers involved in terrorist activities against Israel must be held accountable. Since avoiding a humanitarian crisis is also essential, sustained humanitarian aid must remain available in Gaza now and in the future,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted on social media after the vote.

“In the 90 days before this legislation takes effect – and after – we stand 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.”

Parliament also passed an addendum to the new law saying that Israeli authorities could no longer have contact with UNRWA, but exceptions to that could be made in the future.

The head of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, called the vote a “dangerous precedent” that opposes the U.N. charter and violates Israel’s obligation under international law.

“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 wrote on social media platform X.

UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, employs tens of thousands of workers and provides education, health and aid to millions of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

It has long had tense relations with Israel but ties have deteriorated sharply since the start of the war in Gaza and Israel has called repeatedly for UNRWA to be disbanded, with its responsibilities transferred to other U.N. agencies. 

The U.N. said in August that nine UNRWA staff may have been involved in the Oct. 7 assault and had been fired. A Hamas commander in Lebanon – killed last month in an Israeli strike – was found to have had an UNRWA job. Another commander killed in Gaza last week doubled as a U.N. aid worker. UNRWA had confirmed both men had been employees.

“If the United Nations is not willing to clean this organization from terrorism, from Hamas activists, then we have to take measures to make sure that they cannot harm our people ever again,” said Israeli lawmaker Sharren Haskel.

“The international community could have taken responsibility and made sure that they used the proper organizations to facilitate humanitarian aid, like the World Food Organization, like UNICEF, and many others who work all around the world,” Haskel said.

An UNRWA spokesperson said prior to the vote that the proposed law would be a “disaster” and would have a serious impact on the humanitarian operation in Gaza and in the occupied West Bank.

“We know that previous attempts that aimed at replacing UNRWA and providing humanitarian assistance have failed miserably,” said Juliette Touma, the main spokesperson for the organisation.

“It’s outrageous that a member state of the United Nations is working to dismantle a UN agency which also happens to be the largest responder in the humanitarian operation in Gaza.”

The law would likely directly impact UNRWA institutions in East Jerusalem, which Israel annexed in a move not recognised abroad.

Another of the law’s authors, Boaz Bismuth, said UNRWA’s work there has been counterproductive for years. “If you really want stability, if you really want security, if you want real peace in the Middle East, organizations like UNRWA won’t bring you there,” said Bismuth.

Israel has faced heavy international pressure to do more to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to get more aid to people displaced by Israel’s campaign. 

Before the legislation was passed, foreign ministers from France, Germany, Britain, Japan and South Korea, Canada and Australia issued a statement expressing “grave concern.”

“It is crucial that UNRWA and other UN organizations and agencies be fully able to deliver humanitarian aid and their assistance to those who need it most, fulfilling their mandates effectively,” the statement said.

(Reporting by Dedi Hayoun, Maayan Lubell and Ari Rabinovitch in Jerusalem; Editing by Leslie Adler and Matthew Lewis)