UNRWA to Close Offices in Gaza, West Bank Because of Israeli Ban

Geneva, MINA – The UN relief agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) said it plans to halt aid activities because of a Knesset law that restricts its work, according to a report on Friday, Anadolu Agency reported.

The Israeli parliament (Knesset) approved two bills in October that aim to ban UNRWA’s activities in Israel.

The laws are expected to come into effect this month. Israeli lawmakers argue that UNRWA’s aid operations allegedly serve as a cover for Hamas activities, a claim the agency has repeatedly denied.

UN officials have sounded the alarm about the potential consequences of Israel’s move, according to the New York Times, citing officials.

They warned that no other organization can replicate UNRWA’s comprehensive services, which include providing food, water, medicine, education and shelter to millions of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

A temporary halt to essential humanitarian activities could worsen already dire conditions in the region.

“This would have a huge impact on a situation that is already very bad,” said former UN humanitarian coordinator Jamie McGoldrick.

“If that is Israel’s goal — to take away our ability to save lives — you have to ask what is its mindset and what is its ultimate goal?” he added.

Sami Abu Darweesh, a 30-year-old Palestinian living in an UNRWA-run refugee camp in Gaza, expressed his concerns about the potential closure of the agency.

“The world has abandoned us. We have nothing but the aid we get from UNRWA to survive,” he said. (T/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)