Israel bans UN’s Palestinian refugee agency

KABUL (Pajhwok): In a paradoxical step, Israeli lawmakers have passed legislation banning the UN's Palestinian refugee agency (Unrwa) from operating in the Jewish state and Israeli-controlled East Jerusalem.

Also banning contact between Unrwa employees and Israeli officials, the proposed laws would drastically curtail the UN agency's ability to work in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the BBC reported.

Unrwa is reliant on cooperation from the Israeli troops, who control all crossings into the embattled enclave, in delivering aid to Palestinians.

The legislative measures strip Unrwa workers of legal immunity within Israel and the agency's headquarters in East Jerusalem will be shut in three months.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary General António Guterres warned enforcing the laws "would be detrimental for the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and for peace and security in the region as a whole".

Concerned at the Knesset vote, the US State Department acknowledged Unrwa played a "critical" role in distributing humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip.

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy slammed the move as "totally wrong", while Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer feared Unrwa's "essential work for Palestinians could be made impossible.

For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Unrwa staff members were involved in terrorist activities against Israel and they must be held accountable.

On Monday evening, the Knesset gave the go-ahead to the two bill, presented by Yuli Edelstein, the chairman of the parliament’s foreign affairs and security committee.

The parliamentarian accused Unrwa of being used as a "cover for terrorist actions. There is a deep connection between the terrorist organisation (Hamas) and Unrwa, and Israel cannot put up with it."

PAN Monitor/mud