Israeli Knesset passes bills targeting UNRWA, calls it ‘terrorist organization’
A damaged sign is pictured at the headquarters of UNRWA, following an Israeli raid, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Gaza City, July 12, 2024. (Reuters Photo)
The Israeli Knesset has passed three bills targeting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), declaring it a “terrorist organization,” banning its operations in Israel, and removing the legal immunity of its employees.
The Times of Israel reports that 58 votes in favor and nine against approved the first bill, which bans UNRWA’s activities in Israel. The second bill, which proposes to strip UNRWA employees of their legal immunity and privileges, passed with 63 votes for and nne against. The third bill, approved with 50 votes in favor and 10 against, calls for the designation of UNRWA as a “terrorist organization” and Israel’s severance from the agency.
The Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee will receive the bills for preparation before the second and third readings necessary for them to become law.
Yulia Malinovsky, a member of the opposition Yisrael Beiteinu party, expressed satisfaction with the bills’ approval on social media, noting that “not a day goes by without the Israeli military spokesperson making new statements linking UNRWA to terrorism.”
Responses from PLO and Fatah
Hussein al-Sheikh, secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) Executive Committee, criticized Israel’s decision, stating on social media that Israel’s designation of UNRWA as a terrorist organization undermines international and U.N. institutions.
He emphasized that “the occupation is the ugliest form of terrorism inflicted daily on the Palestinian people” and called for an international stance against the Israeli Knesset’s decision, which he sees as a challenge to international humanitarian principles.
Fatah also condemned the move as an “open challenge to international law and an attempt to nullify the historical rights of the Palestinian people” and urged the international community to take a firm stand against Israel’s decisions and compel it to adhere to international law and related agreements.
UNRWA’s role and Israel’s claims
UNRWA, funded by voluntary contributions from U.N. member states since its establishment in 1950, has been the primary organization providing humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees, including food, health, education, and shelter.
Currently, UNRWA supports 5.9 million Palestinian refugees. Israel has repeatedly targeted UNRWA’s facilities, resulting in the destruction of large quantities of food and medicine, despite its efforts to alleviate Palestinian suffering for nearly 74 years.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an urgent investigation into Israeli claims that UNRWA staff have connections to terrorist organizations and were involved in the Oct. 7 attacks. UNRWA has also initiated an investigation into these allegations.
An independent review group is examining whether UNRWA, which has about 13,000 staff members in Gaza, can operate impartially. The U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) is investigating the allegations against 12 UNRWA staff members related to the Oct. 7 attacks.
The independent review group’s interim report, published on March 20, indicated that UNRWA has mechanisms in place to maintain neutrality but also identified areas for improvement.
