Israel bans Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA from operating in Gaza as aid chief warns move will 'deepen suffering'

28 October 2024, 21:24 | Updated: 28 October 2024, 21:36

Israel has passed a law banning the UN's Palestinian refugee agency from operating in the country, legislation that will severely impact humanitarian aid work in war-torn Gaza.

UNRWA's chief Philippe Lazzarini warned the ban would "only deepen the suffering of Palestinians, especially in Gaza".

The agency provides aid to more than five million Palestinian refugees but has been repeatedly attacked by Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel's prime minister has said the agency has links to Hamas and other militant groups in the region - claims also cited by lawmakers who drafted the legislation.

They also accused UNRWA workers of having involvement in the October 7 attacks in 2023, Hamas' onslaught on Israel that sparked more than a year of conflict in the Middle East.

UNRWA's commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini warned the ban "will only deepen the suffering of Palestinians, especially in Gaza".

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The law has alarmed Israel's Western allies who said any move to restrict UNRWA's work would have "devastating consequences on an already critical and rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation"

"We urge the Israeli government to abide by its international obligations, keep the reserve privileges and immunities of UNRWA untouched and live up to its responsibility to facilitate full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian assistance in all its forms," foreign ministries said in a joint statement.

Responding to the Israeli Knesset’s vote to implement blocks on UNRWA’s work, Sir Keir Starmer said: "The UK is gravely concerned at the UNRWA bills that Israel’s Knesset has passed.

"This legislation risks making UNRWA‘s essential work for Palestinians impossible, jeopardising the entire international humanitarian response in Gaza and delivery of essential health and education services in the West Bank.

"The humanitarian situation in Gaza is simply unacceptable. We need to see an immediate ceasefire, the release of the hostages and a significant increase in aid to Gaza."

He continued: "Under its international obligations, Israel must ensure sufficient aid reaches civilians in Gaza.

"Only UNRWA can deliver humanitarian aid at the scale and pace needed. We pay tribute to the 222 UNRWA staff who have lost their lives in the conflict. UNRWA has a UN mandate to support Palestinian refugees. We urge Israeli lawmakers to ensure that UNRWA can continue to deliver its essential work.”

UNRWA also said the move to ban their operations in Gaza was "outrageous".

Spokesperson for the agency Juliette Touma told the AFP news agency: "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.

"If it’s implemented it’s a disaster including due to the impact this is likely to have on the humanitarian operation in Gaza and in several parts of the [occupied] West Bank."

The ban does not infringe on UNRWA's operations in the Palestinian territories or elsewhere.