Israel votes to ban UN agency for Palestinians

Women walk in front of the HQ of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees — The US and seven Western allies have urged Israel to scrap the new laws

(Image credit: Yousef Masoud / SOPA Images / LightRocket / Getty Images)

What happened

Israel's parliament, the Knesset, passed two laws last night banning the United Nations agency that provides the bulk of aid to Palestinians and labeling it a terrorist organization. The laws, which could end or sharply curtail U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) operations in Gaza and the West Bank, faced immediate criticism from the U.N. and Israel's Western allies.

Who said what

UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini said Israel's "unprecedented” move "will only deepen the suffering of Palestinians, especially in Gaza where people have been going through more than a year of sheer hell." Along with providing critical food, medical care and other humanitarian assistance, the agency also runs schools.

Israel's legislation is the "culmination of a long-running campaign against the agency, which Israel contends has been infiltrated by Hamas," The Associated Press said. "But supporters say Israel's real aim is to sideline the issue of Palestinian refugees," whom the UNRWA has been aiding since they "fled or were driven out" of their homes during "the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation." Israel's enmity toward the agency snowballed after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and its subsequent allegations that 12 UNRWA employees participated in the terrorist assault. Israel has "offered little evidence to support this allegation," The New York Times said.

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UNRWA workers "play an irreplaceable role right now in Gaza," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said, and "passage of this legislation could have implications under U.S. law," especially if Israel doesn't allow more aid to Gaza soon. The U.S. and seven Western allies had urged Israel to scrap the bills.

What next?

Most of the legislation is set to take effect in 90 days, but it is "unclear how or whether the law would ultimately be implemented," the Times said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said after the vote that "UNRWA workers involved in terrorist activities against Israel must be held accountable," but "sustained humanitarian aid must remain available in Gaza now and in the future," administered "in a way that does not threaten Israel's security."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.