- What's happening today?
- Why does Israel want to ban it?
- What could replace UNRWA?
Israel is questioning the future of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
The Israeli Parliament has banned UNRWA from operating in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem.
A measure which fully affected the UN agency and supports the thesis which accuses UNRWA operators of having participated in the Hamas attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, which left around 1,200 dead and 250 kidnapped.
What's happening today?
For more than seven decades, UNRWA has provided aid, education and health care in the Palestinian territories and to Palestinian refugees throughout the rest of the world.
New Israeli legislation prohibits him from communicating and coordinating with Israeli authorities and bans him from entering Israel and occupied East Jerusalem.
This ban will take effect in three months.
“The most immediate effect is to make it very difficult for UNRWA to continue its operations in East Jerusalem,” said Rex Brynen, a political scientist and expert on Palestinian refugees, referring to the Shuafat refugee camp in Jerusalem. -East.
Jonathan Fowler, UNRWA spokesperson in Jerusalem, said, however, that “the consequences reverberate beyond what Israel considers sovereign territory.”
“Indeed, the end of coordination with the Israeli authorities is a very serious blow to our ability to continue relief operations in Gaza, of which we are the backbone,” he said.
UNRWA employs 13,000 people in Gaza and also manages the humanitarian response of other organizations.
He is therefore in regular contact with the Israeli authorities, particularly regarding humanitarian aid.
Prohibiting UNRWA from coordinating its activities with Israel would also complicate its work in the occupied West Bank. UNRWA serves 900,000 refugees in the region, with 43 clinics and nearly 100 schools, Brynen said.
UNRWA said its relationship with COGAT, the Israeli Defense Ministry agency that manages civil affairs in the Palestinian territories, concerns, among other things, the movement of employees.
Why does Israel want to ban it?
For Mr. Brynen, the legislation “was born out of Israeli anger, often misdirected, against UNRWA after October 7.”
But “it also reflects efforts over the years by the Israeli government and a number of other Knesset members to weaken UNRWA in an effort to marginalize the broader Palestinian refugee issue.”
One of the main critics of UNRWA in Israel is former lawmaker Einat Wilf, who criticizes the agency for promoting refugees' right of return.
She says only a minority of those registered by UNRWA would be considered refugees “by international standards”.
But the United Nations says individuals are considered refugees “until the refugee crisis is resolved,” said Anne Irfan, a British academic and refugee expert.
“This is the usual policy,” explained Anne Irfan,
Anne Irfan called the UNRWA ban “an indication of a fairly significant change in Israeli policy.”
She said that previously Israel had criticized UNRWA without questioning its existence, because its work belittled “the cost of the occupation to Israel.”
Mr Fowler said the ban was “an attack on the multilateral system, you know, all the rules of the UN resolutions, the decisions of international courts”.
What could replace UNRWA?
UNRWA has existed for 75 years and attempts to replace it have “failed miserably,” said Juliette Touma, UNRWA spokesperson.
“Under international humanitarian law, it is the responsibility of the occupying power to ensure the well-being of the occupied population to the greatest extent possible,” Mr. Fowler said.
Some suggest that UNRWA missions could be taken over by foreign countries or other UN agencies.
But Middle East expert Michael Dumper said: “Any attempt to limit UNRWA's role in providing services will be seen as eroding the international community's commitment to self-determination.” (of the Palestinians).”
COGAT said it encouraged other UN agencies to operate in Gaza, but Fowler said “they cannot scale up to do the same kinds of things we do.”
The Palestinian Authority, which governs part of the West Bank and seeks a foothold in Gaza, is experiencing financial difficulties and would not be able to take over UNRWA operations.
