Israeli ban on aid threatens crucial support, urges retraction, says UN agency official
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) issued an urgent warning about an impending Israeli ban that could cripple its ability to deliver essential services to millions of Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem.
UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma told Ireland's RTE on Friday that time is running out, as the ban is expected to take effect by the end of January following a decision by the Israeli Parliament last October.
“The clock is ticking for a possible ban on UNRWA to deliver essential services for millions of Palestine refugees,” Touma said, stressing that the UN has no plans to replace the agency in the occupied territories.
“What needs to happen is for the Israeli parliament to retract the decision,” she added.
Touma highlighted that such a move would be unprecedented in UN history. “It has never happened in the history of the United Nations that a member state decides to ban a UN agency, in the middle of a war, from doing its work.”
The Israeli Knesset or parliament voted last October to ban UNRWA's operations in areas under Israeli control, citing allegations that some agency employees were involved in attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, a charge the agency denies.
If enforced, the ban would lead to the closure of UNRWA offices and the freezing of its financial accounts in Israel, effectively halting its operations.
Established after the 1948 Nakba (Catastrophe), the UNRWA has been a vital lifeline for Palestinian refugees, currently providing services to nearly 5.9 million individuals across Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.
Since October 2023, Israel's military campaign in Gaza has resulted in more than 45,700 deaths, most of them women and children, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
In November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its ongoing assault on Gaza.
