The Israeli parliament voted Monday by an overwhelming majority ;eacute; in favor of a bill banning the activities in Israel of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), provoking an outcry international. UNRWA has denounced a “scandalous” measure against it, while it is the main actor of humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip, besieged and devastated by more than a year of war between Israel and Hamas. Israel, long very critical of the agency, accused UNRWA employees of having participated in the massacre perpetrated on its soil by the Palestinian Islamist movement on October 7, 2023, which triggered particularly deadly Israeli reprisals. The text, which prohibits “UNRWA activities on Israeli territory”, including in East Jerusalem, a sector of the holy city occupied and annexed by Israel since 1967, was approved in the Knesset by 92 votes to 10. A second bill, also widely adopted (89 to 7), prohibits Israeli officials from working with UNRWA and its employees, which is expected to significantly disrupt the agency's activities, while Israel strictly controls all humanitarian aid shipments to Gaza. Both laws will take effect 90 days after their adoption, according to the Knesset. The head of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, during an interview with AFP in New York on September 24, 2024 © AFP – ANGELA WEISS UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini denounced the ban, which “sets a dangerous precedent” and will “worsen the suffering of Palestinians.” – “Disaster” – UNRWA, created by the UN General Assembly in 1949, runs health centres and schools in Gaza and the West Bank. Providing shelter, food and basic healthcare, it is considered “the backbone” of aid to Gaza, which is in the grip of a humanitarian catastrophe. If the ban is implemented, “it is a disaster, particularly because of the impact it will likely have on humanitarian operations in Gaza and several parts of the “West Bank,” agency spokeswoman Juliette Touma told AFP. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, affirmed that Israel was “ready” to “work with (its) international partners” to continue to “facilitate humanitarian aid to Gaza in a way that does not threaten (its) security.” Even before the vote, the United States had declared itself “very concerned” and “had urged the government not to approve” this text, according to State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, who reiterated the “crucial” humanitarian role of UNRWA in Gaza. A member of the UNRWA in the courtyard of the Al-Jawni school after an Israeli strike in Nuseirat in the Gaza Strip, on September 11, 2024 © AFP – Eyad BABA The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, denounced an “intolerable” decision that will have “devastating consequences”. “It contravenes Israel's obligations and responsibilities”, he added, stressing that “UNRWA is an irreplaceable lifeline for the Palestinian people”. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was “gravely concerned”, while Germany “strongly criticized” this decision. Ireland, Norway, Slovenia and Spain, four countries that have recognized the State of Palestine, “condemned” this text in a joint statement, judging the work of UNRWA to be “essential and irreplaceable.” – “Fascist State” – On the Palestinian side, Hamas denounced a “Zionist aggression,” while its ally Islamic Jihad condemned “an escalation in the genocide” of the population. The Palestinian presidency judged for its part that the text confirmed “the transformation of Israel into a fascist State.” The UN Security Council, including the United States, Israel's historic ally, had warned the government against this law. “The State of Israel has the right and the duty, as a sovereign state committed to its survival, to combat threats including those that exist at its core,” said MK Yuli Edelstein, chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, after the vote. Some of the largest donors suspended their contributions to UNRWA earlier this year after Israel accused some 20 of the agency's 13,000 employees in Gaza of participating in the October 7, 2023 attack. Most donors have since resumed their support, with the notable exception of the largest, the United States. Nine people “may have been involved” in the attacks, according to a UN investigation in August, while at least 223 agency employees have lost their lives in the territory for over a year. All reproduction and representation rights reserved. © (2024) Agence France-Presse
By Teilor Stone
Teilor Stone has been a reporter on the news desk since 2013. Before that she wrote about young adolescence and family dynamics for Styles and was the legal affairs correspondent for the Metro desk. Before joining Thesaxon , Teilor Stone worked as a staff writer at the Village Voice and a freelancer for Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella. To get in touch, contact me through my teilor@nizhtimes.com 1-800-268-7116