In a controversial move likely to deepen tensions between Israel and the international community, Israel’s parliament has passed a series of bills banning the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) from operating within Israel and the Palestinian territories, officially designating the agency as a terror organization. The bills also cut all diplomatic ties between Israel and the agency, which has long provided essential services to Palestinian refugees.
In a vote held on Monday, 92 members of Israel’s Knesset backed the measure to ban UNRWA’s activities, with only 10 voting against the legislation. A second bill, passed by a similar margin, formally severed all diplomatic relations with the UN agency. The legislation effectively means that UNRWA will no longer be permitted to operate within Israeli-controlled areas or in the occupied Palestinian territories, where it provides critical services such as education, healthcare, and emergency relief to millions of Palestinian refugees.
Israel’s Long-Running Criticism of UNRWA
Israel has long been a vocal critic of UNRWA, arguing that the agency is obsolete and that its continued existence perpetuates the Palestinian refugee issue. Established in 1949, UNRWA was initially tasked with providing temporary assistance to Palestinian refugees displaced during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. However, the agency’s mandate has been repeatedly extended, as the issue of Palestinian statehood remains unresolved and millions of Palestinians, including descendants of the original refugees, continue to live in conditions of displacement.
Israeli officials argue that UNRWA’s focus on supporting the descendants of those displaced in 1948 is an impediment to achieving a peace settlement. “UNRWA has become a tool of perpetuation, not resolution,” said an Israeli government spokesperson following the vote. “Its continued operations encourage a false hope that the refugee issue will be solved through resettlement in Israel, which is not only unrealistic but also a direct threat to the Jewish state’s existence.”
Israel has also accused the agency of harboring militants and teaching anti-Israel rhetoric in its schools, claims that UNRWA has repeatedly denied. UNRWA officials have maintained that their work is strictly humanitarian and that they adhere to United Nations standards of neutrality.
For Palestinians, UNRWA is much more than just a refugee agency—it is a lifeline. The organization provides education to over half a million Palestinian children, healthcare services to millions, and emergency support during times of conflict. In Gaza, where the majority of the population relies on aid, UNRWA’s role is particularly vital.
Palestinian officials and activists slammed the Knesset’s decision, warning that it would exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in the occupied territories. “This is not just an attack on UNRWA; it’s an attack on the millions of Palestinian refugees who rely on it for their basic human rights,” said Hanan Ashrawi, a prominent Palestinian politician. “Israel’s actions are part of a broader strategy to erase the Palestinian issue from the international stage. But we will not be silenced, and our rights will not disappear because of a vote in the Knesset.”
Critics of Israel’s Move
Critics of Israel’s position on UNRWA argue that the agency’s continued existence is not the primary obstacle to peace. Instead, they point to Israel’s failure to meaningfully accept the creation of a Palestinian state and its ongoing settlement activity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which are widely seen as violations of international law.
“UNRWA is not the problem. The problem is Israel’s refusal to recognize Palestinian refugees’ rights and its continued occupation of Palestinian land,” said Diana Buttu, a Palestinian lawyer and former adviser to the Palestinian negotiating team. “The settlements, the annexation of Palestinian land, the refusal to negotiate in good faith—these are the real impediments to peace, not an agency that provides food and education to refugees.”
The international community, including the United Nations and many human rights organizations, has also expressed concern over Israel’s decision. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has previously defended UNRWA, calling it a “stabilizing force” in a volatile region. Following the Knesset’s vote, a UN spokesperson said that the organization would “continue to support Palestinian refugees and work toward a just and lasting solution to their plight.”
