Israel bans UNRWA: The world reacts

Several governments and leaders around the world condemned Israel’s decision Monday to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) from operating in Israel, calling it “illegal” and reiterating their support for the organization.

The new legislation prohibits the agency’s services in Israel, which will severely impact its activities in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, though it is still able to operate in the Palestinian territories. Once implemented, the law will block humanitarian aid routes, shut down the East Jerusalem office, and restrict entry and work permits for UNRWA staff.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement the U.K. is “gravely concerned” at the bills passed by Israel as they jeopardize the “entire international humanitarian response” in Gaza.

German ambassador to Israel Steffen Seibert said he is “very worried” about the impact on displaced men, women and children in Gaza, with the laws putting them at “even greater risk.”

“By targeting UNRWA, Israel aims to destroy the two-state solution and prevent the return of Palestine refugees to their homeland,” the Turkish foreign ministry said Tuesday, adding that as the chair of the working group on the financing of UNRWA, Turkey will continue to provide political and financial support to the agency.

In January, Israel accused 12 UNRWA employees of complicity in the Oct, 7, 2023 attack by Hamas. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has claimed that more than 450 Gaza-based UNRWA employees were members of terrorist organizations, primarily Hamas. “UNRWA workers involved in terrorist activities against Israel must be held accountable,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday.

The harsh measures represent the latest escalation in a long-running feud between Israel and the United Nations, which kicked off shortly after Hamas militants attacked Israel last fall, triggering a retaliatory assault by the IDF in Gaza which has now lasted more than a year.

Many countries, including Belgium, said that Israel’s decision rejects the United Nations General Assembly mandate granted to UNRWA. The foreign ministry said Monday that it “deeply regrets the anti-UNRWA laws” passed by Israel as they are “in direct breach of Israel’s obligations under international law.”

The ministry said that it “sets a disastrous precedent that deeply undermines the multilateral system and the United Nations itself,” a concern also raised by Ireland, Norway, Slovenia and Spain, in a joint statement Monday evening that condemned the Israeli legislation.

“UNRWA does life-saving work,” said Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Monday, adding that her government opposes the Israeli Knesset’s decision to “severely restrict” the agency’s operations.

“The vote by the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) against UNRWA this evening is unprecedented and sets a dangerous precedent. It opposes the UN Charter and violates the State of Israel’s obligations under international law,” said UNRWA’s commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini. “This should be a concern to all,” he added.

U.N. Secretary General António Guterres called on Israel to “act consistently” with its international law obligations, adding that there is no alternative to the U.N. agency.

Before the Israeli parliament passed the law on Monday, the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell expressed “grave concern over the legislation” saying that, if passed, it “will have far-reaching consequences.”

The U.S. state department spokesperson Matthew Miller said during a briefing Monday that the U.S. government was “deeply concerned” about the vote in the Israeli parliament and that UNRWA had an “irreplaceable” role in providing aid to the Gaza Strip.

“We continue to urge the government of Israel to pause the implementation of this legislation,” Miller told reporters moments before the bills were passed. “We urge them not to pass it at all. We will consider next steps based on what happens in the days ahead.”