Israel's Parliament Passes Law to Ban UN Aid Agency

On Monday, Israel’s parliament passed a law prohibiting the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) from operating within the country.

Israeli officials pointed to the involvement of a small number of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) staff in the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, as well as the membership of some staff in Hamas and other armed groups.

“UNRWA workers involved in terrorist activities against Israel must be held accountable,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

The head of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, said the vote opposes the U.N. charter and violates international law. “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,” he wrote on social media platform X.

The vote came the same day Israeli tanks thrust deeper into northern Gaza, trapping 100,000 civilians, the Palestinian emergency service said, in what Israel’s military said were operations to eliminate regrouping Hamas militants.

The Israeli military said soldiers captured around 100 suspected militants in a raid on a hospital in the Jabalia camp. Hamas and medics have denied any militant presence at the hospital.

Source: Reuters