The bills, passed on Monday, are “nothing less than collective punishment,” said UNRWA’s leader.
the Israeli Knesset passed legislation banning the main aid group for Palestinians from operating in the occupied Palestinian territories — a move that world leaders, humanitarian groups and the agency itself have warned will spell certain death for those starving amid Israel’s genocide and vastly erode Palestinians’ rights in the long term.
The two bills passed with overwhelming support from Israeli lawmakers, with only a handful of dissenters. One bill bans the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) from providing services within Israel and the Palestinian territory, while the other declares UNRWA to be a “terror” group and bars interaction between the agency and the Israeli government.
Advocates have warned that the ban will worsen the already dire humanitarian catastrophe and famine in Gaza, while also depriving Palestinians in the occupied West Bank of crucial aid and services like education.
UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini said that the bans are “unprecedented” and are tantamount to collective punishment of Palestinians — a crime under international law.
“These bills will only deepen the suffering of Palestinians, especially in Gaza where people have been going through more than a year of sheer hell. It will deprive over 650,000 girls and boys there from education, putting at risk an entire generation of children. These bills increase the suffering of the Palestinians and are nothing less than collective punishment,” the UNRWA head said.
As even some Israeli officials have warned, Lazzarini said that the bans are a violation of Israel’s membership within the UN and are a violation of the UN charter.
