The Israeli parliament granted initial approval to a bill that aims to label the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) as a “terrorist organization” and suggests severing ties with the humanitarian agency.
The bill received approval during its first reading in the Knesset. The bill will be sent back to the Israeli “Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee” for additional review and discussion before the final decision is made.
Commenting on the Knesset’s measure, UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma warned that this is “another attempt in a wider campaign to dismantle the agency,” adding that “such steps are unheard of in the history of the United Nations.”
Palestinian Resistance group Hamas condemned the approval of the bill, saying that the bill seeks “to end the Palestinian cause, foremost the refugee issue.”
Hamas called on the international community and the United Nations to “take firm stances against Israel” and protect UNRWA from the occupation’s attempts to “eliminate it.”
Similarly, the Palestinian al-Mujahideen Movement condemned the bill, describing it as a “Zionist attempt to eliminate one of the legal witnesses to our people’s tragedy and their displacement in 1948,” asserting that the decision is a “precursor to a new policy of starvation and siege” against the Palestinian people.
Munther Hayek, spokesperson for Fatah, emphasized that the existence of UNRWA is linked to the return of Palestinian refugees to their homes, and its mandate ends with the implementation of Resolution 194, which stipulates the right of return and compensation.
He also urged the UN and the international community to take a supportive stance for the agency so it can fulfill its role towards the refugees.
Baseless claims
UNRWA was established in the aftermath of the 1948 Palestinian Nakba, and its continuous presence underscores the persistence of the unresolved issues stemming from that struggle.
The Palestinians forcibly displaced in 1948, as well as subsequent Israeli aggressions, remain refugees along with their descendants. This legal designation, upheld by UNRWA’s existence and ongoing operations, implies an entitlement to a right of return under international law.
The organization offers essential services to millions of Palestinians across several regions. This includes providing education, healthcare, and humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.
After accusing hundreds of UNRWA staffers of being affiliated with Resisatnce groups Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the occupation entity failed to provide any evidence to the United Nations.
Following the entity’s claims, UNRWA’s top donors halted their funding to the humanitarian body. However, with “Israel” not presenting evidence to back its claims, many have since reversed the decision, most recently the United Kingdom.
