Israel’s Knesset to discuss UNRWA’s fate as world leaders urge protection

Foreign Ministers of seven key countries including France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, have released a statement condemning a controversial legislation that could halt Palestinian aid.

On Monday, Israel’s Knesset will discuss two bills aimed at ending the operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) across the occupied West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem, drawing increasing international concern.

The foreign ministers urged the Israeli government to "abide by its international obligations" and allow UNRWA to continue its work.

This appeal comes a day after 52 international aid agencies called on governments to exert diplomatic pressure on Israel, and consider sanctions if the legislation advances.

Ziad Issa of ActionAid UK, which coordinated the joint INGO statement, stressed upon the need for intervention by other states.

“Governments that fund UNRWA and support its mandate should engage in urgent advocacy with the Israeli government to halt this legislation from passing,” Issa, head of Women, Peace, and Security at the NGO UNRWA, told TRT World.

UNRWA has operated in the region since 1949, providing healthcare, education, and social services to over two million Palestinians - responsibilities that Israel, as the occupying force, is obliged to fulfill. The two proposed bills seek to strip UNRWA of its operational capacity in Israel and to revoke a 1967 agreement that permits its presence, effectively isolating the agency and removing diplomatic protections for its staff.

The joint statement from aid agencies called this legislative move a “reckless” attempt to dismantle a cornerstone of humanitarian efforts in Gaza.

Issa further emphasised that, “The immediate loss would be devastating for Palestinians who depend on UNRWA for health services, education, food security, sanitation, and protection. This closure would create a massive service gap that INGOs, including ActionAid, could not address.”

On chances of bills being passed, Benny Gantz, leader of the National Unity party, has stated that his party will only support bills that receive government backing, suggesting that the ultimate fate of these proposals may rest in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hands.

Netanyahu’s decision is critical, as he balances domestic political pressure against the potential international backlash, including the risk of strained relations with the United States, which has already warned that curtailing UNRWA’s activities could impact military aid to Israel.

UNRWA, a thorn in Israel’s side?

Although UNRWA appears to have attracted Israel’s ire after the Hamas-led October 7 attacks - government officials have been trying to usurp the agency's powers for years. In 2017, Netanyahu first called for the agency's disbandment, arguing that it “perpetuates the Palestinian refugee problem and the narrative of the so-called right of return, whose goal is the elimination of Israel.”

UNRWA allows male Palestinian refugees to transfer their refugee status from one generation to another, thus allowing the right of return for 14.3 million Palestinian refugees in the diaspora, outnumbering Israel’s population of 9.4 million - a move considered detrimental for Israel’s aggressive expansionism.

By 2018, Netanyahu convinced then President Donald Trump to cut all US financial support to UNRWA, with President Joe Biden only partially restoring the funding upon taking office.

Hamas accusations

Now with Israel intensifying its accusations against UNRWA following the October 7 Hamas-led blitz, shutting down UNRWA operations has again become a key priority.

“These actions are part of a wider strategy the Israeli government is implementing to delegitimise UNRWA, discredit its support for Palestine refugees, and undermine the international legal framework protecting their rights, including the right of return,” suggested Issa.

“The idea of dismantling or undermining this agency is not only an affront to the values of multilateralism, but it also sets a dangerous precedent with global implications,” he added.

In January the Israeli government accused the agency of harboring Hamas operatives within its ranks, releasing dossiers that allegedly linked 10 percent of UNRWA’s 12,000 staff in Gaza to terrorist activities. The unfounded accusations led once again to a suspension of funding by the US but also 14 other countries.

UNRWA was quick to issue a statement expressing it had not received any indication from Israeli authorities of any involvement of its staff in armed or militant groups. In addition, the Agency screens its staff on a biannual basis against the UN Security Council Consolidated Sanctions List.

A UN Independent Review led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna found in April that there was not enough “supporting evidence” to back Israel’s claims that a significant number of UNRWA employees are members of terrorist organisations. By July countries were keen to resume funding to the agency - though the US remains the lone wolf on keeping aid frozen, at least until March 2025.