Israel\u2019s parliament, the Knesset, has approved legislation formally ending the operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) within Israel, marking a significant escalation in Israel\u2019s long-running dispute with the UN body.<\/p>\n
Under the new law, UNRWA will no longer be permitted to operate inside Israeli territory. The legislation orders the immediate termination of essential services provided to the agency, including water, electricity, gas, telecommunications, and access to Israeli banking systems. It also revokes UN-related immunities previously enjoyed by UNRWA staff operating in Israel.<\/p>\n
The law further authorizes the state to seize UNRWA-owned land and facilities within 30 days, transferring control to Israeli authorities.<\/p>\n
Government officials backing the legislation argue that UNRWA\u2019s presence poses security and sovereignty concerns, accusing the agency of operating beyond its humanitarian mandate. Israeli leaders have repeatedly criticized UNRWA, claiming its infrastructure and personnel have been exploited by militant groups, allegations the agency has denied.<\/p>\n
The decision is expected to have far-reaching humanitarian and diplomatic consequences, particularly for Palestinian refugees who rely on UNRWA services for education, healthcare, and social support. International organizations and several governments are likely to raise concerns over the impact on civilian populations and the broader implications for Israel\u2019s relations with the United Nations.<\/p>\n
UNRWA has not yet issued a formal response to the passage of the law, but the agency has previously warned that shutting down its operations would severely disrupt aid delivery and exacerbate humanitarian conditions in the region.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Israel\u2019s parliament, the Knesset, has approved legislation formally ending the operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) within Israel, marking a significant escalation in Israel\u2019s long-running dispute with the UN body. Under the new law, UNRWA will no longer be permitted to operate inside Israeli territory. The legislation orders<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14875,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"twitter_1160854738579181570_1160854738579181570":"","facebook_3558452337540614_100649324928663":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,14,28,54],"tags":[1335,1302,981,783,451,2592],"class_list":{"0":"post-14874","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general-news","8":"category-breaking-news","9":"category-middle-east","10":"category-social","11":"tag-humanitarian-affairs","12":"tag-international-relations","13":"tag-israel","14":"tag-israeli-politics","15":"tag-middle-east","16":"tag-unrwa"},"yoast_head":"\n