Israeli Parliament Holds Bill Voting To Restrict UN Agency For UNRWA Palestinians

Polio Vaccination for children in Gaza carried out by UN Agency officers for UNRWA / UNRWA Palestinian refugees

JAKARTA - Israeli lawmakers will vote on two draft laws that will seriously hinder the ability of the United Nations to provide assistance to Palestinian refugees in Israeli-occupied territories.

The Israeli parliament is scheduled to vote in Knesset, the Israeli parliament, on Monday, October 28. Consequently, the law will prevent staff and aid provided by UNRWA UN agencies for Palestinian refugees for transit in Israel.

The bill technically does not prohibit UNRWA from operating in Israeli occupied territories such as Gaza and the West Bank territory controlled by the Palestinian Authority.

But the law will significantly limit UNRWA's ability to respond to events in the region.

The agency has long been the target of Israeli criticism, especially after the Hamas-led terrorist attack on October 7, 2023.

Voting is expected to continue despite international pressure from the United States and other Western countries.

On Monday, Canadian foreign ministers, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea and Britain issued a joint statement calling on Israel to stop the law, declaring a "big concern", especially given the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

"UNRWA provides essential humanitarian assistance and basic services and save lives to Palestinian refugees in Gaza, East Jerusalem, the West Bank and throughout the region," the statement read.

Without this cooperation, the provision of aid and services, including education, health services, and fuel distribution in Gaza and the West Bank, will be severely hampered or even impossible, with very bad consequences for the critical and rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation, particularly in North Gaza.