Israeli lawmakers on Monday passed two laws that could potentially threaten the work of the main UN aid agency involved in helping people in Gaza by banning UNRWA from operating on Israeli soil.
The move to ban UNRWA according to the UN is unjustified, while international allies of Israel are also raising serious concerns about the deterioration of Palestinians in Gaza following the announcement.
Under the first law, the U.N. Agency for Palestinian Refugees, or UNRWA, would be banned from conducting “any activity” or providing any service inside Israel, while the second would sever diplomatic ties with it.
Meanwhile, Germany, a staunch Israeli supporter, sharply criticised the bill passed by Israel's parliament to ban the UN agency for Palestinian refugees from working in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem.
The Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Assistance, Luise Amtsberg, also said that the move would "effectively make UNRWA's work in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem impossible... jeopardising vital humanitarian aid for millions of people.”
Furthermore, the head of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees said Monday that the Israeli parliament's move to ban UNRWA set “a dangerous precedent. “ The agency's chief, Philippe Lazzarini, in a post on X.
Although Netanyahu has said that Israel is ready to provide aid to Gaza as the Israeli parliament bans UNRWA.
In a post on X, he said, "Sustained humanitarian aid must remain available in Gaza now and in the future.
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.”
However, "There is no alternative to UNRWA," he said in a statement. "The implementation of these laws would be detrimental to the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and for peace and security in the region as a whole. As I said before, UNRWA is indispensable."
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