Israeli parliament approves ban on UNRWA to cut off critical aid for Palestinians in Gaza

The Israeli parliament approved a bill on Monday, banning the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) from operating in areas under Israel’s jurisdiction, a move that threatens to further restrict crucial aid for Palestinians in Gaza.

Israel has intensified its criticism of UNRWA's presence in Gaza, particularly after October 7, alleging that some of its workers have facilitated Hamas. 

Several UNRWA staff members have reportedly been killed in IDF attacks while providing humanitarian support to Palestinians.

The bill passed with a substantial majority of 92 votes, with only 10 members, primarily Arab parliamentarians opposing it.

This legislation is expected to dismantle nearly all assistance for Palestinians in Gaza, who are already enduring acute shortages of essential supplies under Israel's blockade.

The law also prohibits Israeli authorities from any communication with UNRWA, overturning a 1960 agreement that permitted the agency’s operations within Israel.

The new regulations remove the nearly eight-decade-old organisation from any formal diplomatic framework, with the Israeli government now refusing to issue entry visas to UNRWA staff.

UNRWA expressed grave concerns about the ban, warning of its implications for Palestinians. 

“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,” UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma told AFP, calling the move “a dangerous precedent.”