Global condemnations pour in after Israel's ban on UN's Palestine aid agency

Global condemnations have poured in following Israel's legislation prohibiting the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) from operating in Palestine, a decision that threatens to inflict severe repercussions on millions of Palestinians enduring Israeli occupation and genocide.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in a statement warned that enforcing a law prohibiting UNRWA from operating in the Israeli occupied Palestinian territories could lead to catastrophic outcomes for Palestinian refugees in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, deeming such a scenario unacceptable.

"There is no alternative to UNRWA," Guterres said, adding, "The implementation of these laws would be detrimental for the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and for peace and security in the region as a whole. As I said before, UNRWA is indispensable."

He noted that Israel is urged to adhere to its commitments under the United Nations Charter and other international legal frameworks, arguing domestic laws cannot override these responsibilities.

Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner General of UNRWA, in a post on X said that the new Israeli law to ban his organization only deepens the suffering of Palestinians, especially in Gaza where people have been going through “more than a year of sheer hell” and is “nothing less than collective punishment.”

“This is the latest in the ongoing campaign to discredit UNRWA and delegitimize its role towards providing human-development assistance and services to Palestine refugees,” Lazzarini wrote.

Head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also condemned the Israeli move to ban UNRWA and said that the UN agency has been an “irreplaceable lifeline” to the Palestinian people for the past seven decades.

“UNRWA was created by the UN Member States. Today’s decision by the Israeli parliament barring UNRWA from its life-saving and health-protecting work on behalf of millions of Palestinians will have devastating consequences,” the WHO chief said.

Earlier, a UNRWA spokesperson also decried the move as “outrageous.”

“It’s outrageous that a member ... 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,” Juliette Touma, spokesperson for UNRWA, said in a statement.

Moreover, European countries such as the UK, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Australia and France in separate statements condemned the Israeli move, warning about the humanitarian, political and legal implications of the decision.

They called on Israeli lawmakers to ensure that UNRWA can continue to deliver its essential work.

Also the governments of the four European countries of Ireland, Norway, Slovenia and Spain, which all have recognized Palestinian statehood, issued a joint statement condemning the Israeli Parliament (Knesset)’s targeting of the UN agency.

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas also denounced the Israeli legislation, calling it “part of the Zionist war and aggression against our people.”

In a separate statement, Palestinian Islamic Jihad also condemned the Israeli move, calling it “an escalation in the genocide” against Palestinians.

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On Monday, Israel's Knesset enacted legislation prohibiting UNRWA from operating in the Israeli occupied Palestinian territories, including East al-Quds and the West Bank, along with Gaza, mandating a complete withdrawal within 90 days.

The Knesset approved two bills: one that prohibits UNRWA from working directly or indirectly in the occupied Palestinian territories and another that cuts off all communication between Israeli authorities and organizations with the agency.

Israeli lawmakers also voted to designate UNRWA a terror group, nullifying the 1967 agreement that permitted UNRWA to assist Palestinian refugees in the Israeli-occupied territories.

Israel's recent move to ban the key UN agency that aids Palestinian refugees marks another significant strike against the United Nations system, as Israel prime minister Netanyahu has consistently labeled UNRWA workers as "terrorists."

UNRWA services have been severely disrupted since Israel's war on Gaza began in October last year. Israeli forces have hit at least 188 UNRWA installations, including shelters, schools and medical facilities.

The move comes as Israeli forces in a brutal attack on Monday burned down the UNRWA-run Al Fakhoura School in the Jabalia refugee camp killing and injuring dozens of Palestinians.

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