UNRWA

2024 - 10 - 29

UNRWA in Hot Water: Israel’s New Law Turns Up the Heat!

humanitarian aid - Israel - Knesset - Oxfam - Palestinian refugees - Penny Wong - Philippe Lazzarini - UNRWA

Israel's parliament takes a bold step, banning the UN agency helping Palestinians while raising eyebrows worldwide! Find out why this decision is causing a stir.

In a contentious move, Israel's parliament has passed legislation that may dramatically hinder the efforts of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the principal body supporting Palestinian refugees and providing crucial humanitarian aid in Gaza and the West Bank. The recently approved bill not only restricts UNRWA from operating in Israel, but also designates the agency as a terrorist entity, effectively cutting ties that have existed for decades. Supporters of the law argue that this action is necessary in response to allegations against some UNRWA employees purportedly linked to recent violence, including the devastating attacks on October 7.

Critics, however, have vehemently condemned the move as an infringement upon international humanitarian principles. Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA Commissioner-General, asserted that the decision contradicts the core values encapsulated in the UN Charter and undermines efforts to provide vital assistance to millions of Palestinians relying on the agency for their basic needs. Oxfam has also expressed outrage, positing that this legislation further deepens the existing humanitarian crisis in regions already in turmoil due to ongoing conflict.

The implications of this legislation are far-reaching, as the UNRWA has served as a lifeline for Gaza's population, offering not only social services but also crucial food and medical supplies in the area where access to assistance is already scarce. With Israel's ban in place, the future of humanitarian aid in the region hangs in the balance, raising questions about who will fill the gaps left by UNRWA's departure. Lawmakers in Israel have stated that empowering such an organization contradicts their interests and security concerns, yet critics argue that it exacerbates suffering, effectively punishing those in dire need.

As we dissect this alarming scenario, it’s essential to note that UNRWA has operated since 1949 to aid Palestinian refugees displaced by the Arab-Israeli conflict. With its facilities stretched thin and funding dwindling, the agency is already coping with unprecedented challenges, making this new legislation a potentially devastating blow. Interestingly, while the political landscape shifts around them, the resilient Palestinian people continue to seek aid and advocacy from the global community. Let’s hope their future doesn’t become the punchline in what seems like a contentious political comedy that no one wanted to watch!

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Image courtesy of "ABC News"

Israel passes legislation designating UNRWA a terrorist ... (ABC News)

Israeli parliament passes legislation that could threaten the work of the main UN agency providing aid to people in Gaza by barring it from operating on ...

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Image courtesy of "SBS"

Israel's parliament approves bill to ban UNRWA from operating ... (SBS)

The ban on the UN agency — which has provided essential aid and assistance across Palestinian territories and to Palestinian refugees elsewhere for more than ...

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Image courtesy of "The Guardian"

Israeli parliament votes to ban Unrwa from Israel within 90 days (The Guardian)

Lawmakers also voted to declare UN relief agency a terror group, banning any direct interaction with Israeli state.

Oxfam reaction to Israel's banning of UNRWA | Oxfam International (Oxfam International)

In reaction to Israel's Knesset passing a law banning the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) from operating in areas under Israel's ...

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Image courtesy of "UN News"

Lazzarini: Israeli Knesset vote on UNRWA will deepen Palestinian ... (UN News)

Monday's vote by the Israeli Knesset banning the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) contradicts principles of the UN Charter, violates Israel's obligations ...

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Image courtesy of "Aljazeera.com"

'Outrageous': Israeli parliament approves bill to ban UNRWA (Aljazeera.com)

The agency for Palestinian refugees, considered a lifeline for Gaza, has been under Israeli attacks since the war began.

The vote by the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) against UNRWA this ... (UNRWA)

From Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA Commissioner-General as posted on his official X account (previously known as Twitter) The vote by the Israeli Parliament ...

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Image courtesy of "SBS"

UNRWA ban: Wong opposes Israel's decision to restrict UN ... (SBS)

Israel's parliament on Tuesday approved the bill banning the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees from working in Israel, ...

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Image courtesy of "The Australian Financial Review"

Gaza war: Israel bans UN aid agency UNRWA from operating in ... (The Australian Financial Review)

The legislators who drafted the law cited what they described as the involvement of some UNRWA staffers in the October 7 attack on southern Israel.

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Image courtesy of "SBS"

UNRWA ban: Wong opposes Israel's decision to restrict UN ... (SBS)

UNRWA is the main organisation providing humanitarian relief to people in war-torn Gaza.

Wong must strongly condemn and sanction Israel after shocking ... (Australian Greens)

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Greens Deputy Leader and International Aid Spokesperson, has condemned new Israeli legislation labelling UNRWA a terrorist ...

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Image courtesy of "CNN"

Israel has banned the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. That ... (CNN)

A boy carries a humanitarian aid package provided by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in central Gaza City on August 27 ...

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Image courtesy of "EJIL: Talk!"

The General Assembly Must Protect UNRWA by Requesting a ... (EJIL: Talk!)

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), a subsidiary organ of the General Assembly, provides a lifeline ...

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Image courtesy of "BBC News"

Unrwa: Israel bans UN Palestinian refugee agency, raising Gaza aid ... (BBC News)

Israel passes two laws which Western governments fear could have devastating consequences for civilians in the Gaza Strip.

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Image courtesy of "UNRWA"

Statement of the Secretary-General on Israeli legislation on UNRWA ... (UNRWA)

I am deeply concerned by the adoption today by the Knesset of Israel of two laws concerning the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine ...

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Image courtesy of "POLITICO.eu"

Israel bans UNRWA: The world reacts (POLITICO.eu)

The U.K. is “gravely concerned,” said Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

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Image courtesy of "Amnesty International"

Law to ban UNRWA in Israel amounts to criminalization of ... (Amnesty International)

Reacting to the news that the Israeli parliament has passed a law to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East ...

Letter from UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini to the ... (UNRWA)

On 7 December 2023 and 22 February 2024, I wrote to the President of the General Assembly that UNRWA's ability to implement its mandate was under threat.

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Image courtesy of "UN News"

UNRWA cannot be replaced, say UN top officials in response to ... (UN News)

Top UN officials continued to line up on Tuesday to defend the irreplaceable role of the global body's agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, insisting that ...

Guterres: no alternative to “indispensable” UNRWA (UNRIC.org)

The UN Secretary-General expressed concern over Israel's Knesset adopting laws that may hinder UNRWA's vital work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

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Image courtesy of "Aljazeera.com"

What does UNRWA do and why has Israel banned it from West Bank ... (Aljazeera.com)

What are in the bills passed by Israel to ban the Palestinian refugee agency, and what services is it responsible for?

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Image courtesy of "The Conversation AU"

Israel's ban on UNRWA continues a pattern of politicizing ... (The Conversation AU)

Millions of Palestinian refugees are set to suffer as a result of banning the UN agency, piling pressure on the US, which has warned of 'consequences.'

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Image courtesy of "BBC News"

What is Unrwa and why has Israel banned it? (BBC News)

Israel's parliament voted on Monday evening to ban the UN's Palestinian refugee agency (Unrwa) from operating within Israel and occupied East Jerusalem.

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Image courtesy of "UNRIC.org"

European governments condemn Israel legislation on UNRWA (UNRIC.org)

Many Western European leaders have expressed their worries about Monday's vote by the Israeli Knesset banning the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine ...

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Image courtesy of "ABC News"

UNRWA rejects claims of a replacement aid agency, after Israel ... (ABC News)

The UN's aid agency for Palestinian refugees will be outlawed in 90 days, under a controversial bill backed by Israel's parliament.

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Image courtesy of "Amnesty International"

Israel/OPT: Law to ban UNRWA amounts to criminalisation of ... (Amnesty International)

Israeli parliament has passed a law to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency from operating inside Israel.

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Image courtesy of "SBS"

In letter to Israel, UN chief warns UNRWA ban could have ... (SBS)

The UN views Gaza as Israeli-occupied territory, and international law requires an occupying power to agree to relief programs for people in need and to ...

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