Ignoring the warnings of the US and UK, the Israeli Parliament passed an unprecedented ban, causing international outrage.

Recently, the Israeli Parliament's vote to pass a bill banning the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) from operating in Israel and East Jerusalem has caused a backlash from the international community, including its ally the United States.

UNRWA headquarters in Gaza City damaged after Israeli airstrikes. (Source: Reuters)

According to AFP news agency, the Israeli parliament voted to pass the ban on October 28 with 92 votes in favor and 10 votes against, "ignoring" the advice of both the US and the UK.

Israel has been harshly critical of UNRWA for years, and this stance has become more assertive since the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023.

In response, UNRWA issued a statement quoting its spokesperson Juliette Touma as saying: "It is outrageous that a UN member state is trying to disband a UN agency that is also the largest humanitarian response agency in Gaza."

According to Ms. Touma, if this decision is implemented, it will be “a disaster, including the impact it could have on humanitarian activities in Gaza and some areas of the West Bank”.

For his part, UNRWA communications adviser Adnan Abu Hasna said the decision was an “unprecedented” escalation and meant the collapse of the entire humanitarian process.

UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini also strongly criticized this decision, saying that this was "collective punishment" and violated the UN Charter.

On social network X, Mr. Lazzarini emphasized that this unprecedented move creates a dangerous precedent and goes against Israel's international obligations, further aggravating the situation of the Palestinian people, especially in the Gaza Strip.

On October 29, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sent a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to protest the ban, stating that the new law violated international law and would have a devastating impact on the humanitarian situation of Palestinians in the occupied territories if implemented.

Several countries including France, Britain, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Canada and Australia have expressed concern about the ban.

“It is extremely regrettable that the Israeli parliament is considering ending UNRWA’s operations,” British Foreign Secretary David Lammy told parliament. “The allegations against UNRWA staff earlier this year were thoroughly investigated and no justification for this was found.”

According to him, the decision to ban UNRWA from operating is not in Israel's "interest".

Meanwhile, the French Foreign Ministry said that the implementation of the above law would worsen the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and the Palestinian territories, and affirmed its continued support for UNRWA and will monitor the organization's reform process.

On the US side, speaking to the press, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller emphasized: "We have made it very clear to the Israeli government our deep concerns about this proposed bill," and reaffirmed UNRWA's "extremely important" role in distributing humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip.

On the same day, October 29, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield also expressed opposition to "any Israeli effort to starve Palestinians in Jabalia, or anywhere else in the Gaza Strip."

Speaking before the UN Security Council, the US Ambassador affirmed: "Israel's words must be matched by actions on the ground. Currently, that is not happening and there needs to be an immediate change."

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