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Israel’s Unrwa ban is a full-frontal assault on life-saving aid to Palestinians

Israel's imminent ban of the UN agency deepens the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and aims to criminalise all international aid for Palestinians across the occupied territories
Palestinian Women enter an Unrwa Jerusalem Health Center in Jerusalem's Old City on 27 January, 2025 (Reuters)

Over the past 15 months, the world has witnessed Israel's brutal, live-streamed genocide in Gaza, accompanied by a relentless smear campaign aimed at delegitimising and dismantling international institutions operating in the occupied Palestinian territory.

Chief among these is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (Unrwa), which has been the most aggressively targeted, with hundreds of its staff killed by Israel.

While the current ceasefire in Gaza signals a temporary respite from Israeli military attacks, Israel's war on international institutions, such as Unrwa, continues unabated.

Although Israel attempts to cloak these efforts in a veneer of legitimacy through the legislative process of its parliament, the Knesset, the reality is in sharp contrast.

Laws targeting Unrwa have devastating consequences for Palestinians, particularly in Gaza, where famine - a result of Israel's deliberate policies - has already inflicted immense suffering.

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By dismantling institutions that provide lifesaving aid, Israel weaponises its legislature to perpetuate oppression, deepening the humanitarian crisis while masquerading as a lawful and democratic state.

These measures further isolate Palestinians, entrench systemic brutality, and have lethal, far-reaching consequences.

Evading accountability

On 28 October 2024, Israel's Knesset, with over 90 percent support, approved two bills banning Unrwa from operating in the occupied territories - Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem - with these measures set to take effect by the end of January 2025.

This dangerous escalation comes at a critical moment.

Israel's actions aggravate an already dire humanitarian crisis, underscoring the urgent need for international accountability

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants, which, among other alleged crimes, found reasonable grounds to believe that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant bear criminal responsibility for the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare.

Israel's actions aggravate an already dire humanitarian crisis, underscoring the urgent need for international accountability.

But Israel's assault on international institutions goes beyond targeting Unrwa.

It has also included obstructing the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) from independently monitoring Israeli detention conditions, undermining the ICC's investigations into Israeli war crimes, and denying access to UN officials, including relevant special rapporteurs.

Together, these actions form a calculated effort to evade accountability and erode the very mechanisms designed to uphold international law.

Dismantling Unrwa

Israel's campaign against Unrwa intensified after October 2023, fuelled by baseless smears, such as claims that 10 percent of Unrwa staff in Gaza had "links to Hamas or the Palestinian Islamic Jihad".

Israeli propaganda also alleged that 12 Unrwa staff members were involved in the attacks on Israel on 7 October.


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Although these accusations led to a significant reduction in Unrwa funding, with 15 countries suspending their contributions, independent investigations - including a UN-commissioned report - found no evidence to substantiate Israel's claims.

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However, the damage was done: lifesaving aid from Unrwa to Palestinians in Gaza was curtailed, exacerbating the threat of famine.

On 22 July 2024, the Knesset advanced a bill declaring Unrwa a "terrorist organisation", marking the latest attack in a prolonged Israeli smear campaign against the agency.

Alongside these slanderous accusations, Israeli military forces targeted Unrwa schools and warehouses. It has been reported that at least 500 people sheltering in Unrwa facilities, including women and children, have been killed in the past 15 months.

Moreover, Israel's weaponisation of the label "terrorist entity" against Unrwa fits into a broader strategy of delegitimising international institutions that support Palestinians, aiming to maintain its control and dominance.

In October 2021, the Israeli Ministry of Defence designated six Palestinian civil society organisations that protect Palestinian rights as "terrorist organisations". No evidence to support these claims was ever presented.

'Inevitably fatal'

The new bills passed by Israel's Knesset, set to take effect around 30 January 2025, banning Unrwa from operating in the occupied territories, represent a dangerous development.

By targeting the primary agency providing lifesaving aid to millions, Israel seeks to heighten the isolation of Palestinians, cutting them off from vital humanitarian support and tightening its stranglehold on their survival.

At a time when humanitarian aid is crucial to ceasefire efforts, this calculated move further restricts access to food, medical care, and other essentials, thereby intensifying the suffering of the Palestinian people caused by Israel's genocidal campaign.

While the passage of these bills through the Knesset may suggest "democratic" legitimacy, such framing obscures the reality: this decision directly fuels a humanitarian crisis by depriving millions of lifesaving aid.

It is the culmination of decades of systematic dehumanisation of Palestinians by Israel, normalising policies that are not only unjust but also inevitably fatal for those they target.

Dangerous precedent

Israel's dismantling of Unrwa is a calculated move to undermine Palestinians' right to return.

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By targeting the institution responsible for safeguarding the welfare of Palestinian refugees, Israel aims to erase their unique status and strip away the legal protections tied to their right to return to their homeland.

Furthermore, shutting down Unrwa would set a dangerous precedent by criminalising humanitarian aid provided by a UN agency - a slippery slope with unpredictable consequences.

Such a move not only jeopardises the integrity of international humanitarian efforts but also escalates the humanitarian crisis for Palestinians, further delegitimising their struggle for justice and self-determination.

The apocalyptic conditions in Gaza are exacerbated not only by the brutal war crimes committed by the Israeli military but also by Israel's deliberate efforts to delegitimise key international institutions like Unrwa.

By undermining their credibility and obstructing their work, Israel deepens the humanitarian crisis with far-reaching and lethal consequences for countless Palestinian civilians.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.

Zaki Sarraf is a Legal Officer at the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians. He previously worked at Reprieve where he led the casework, investigation and international advocacy of death penalty cases in the MENA region. He has also worked in the UN High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) Legal Protection team, in Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ Public Law team, and as an asylum and immigration lawyer in Egypt. He holds an LLB Law degree from SOAS University and an LLM in Transnational Criminal Justice from BPP University.
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