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Israel’s parliament has voted to pass legislation banning the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency (Unrwa) from operating within Israel and Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem in three months.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also warned that Unrwa workers involved in terrorist activities against Israel will be held accountable adding that sustained humanitarian aid must remain available in Gaza.
This implies that contact between Unrwa employees and Israeli officials will also be banned, severely limiting the agency’s ability to operate in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Co-operation with the Israeli military – which controls all crossings into Gaza – is essential for Unrwa to transfer aid into the war-torn territory.
UN Secretary General António Guterres said implementing the laws would be detrimental for the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and for peace and security in the region.
A number of countries, including the US, the UK and Germany, have also expressed serious concern about the move.
The US State Department said Unrwa plays a critical role in distribution of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip to more than two million people.
