After Israel passed a series of laws that target the UN’s Palestinian Aid Agency (UNRWA), the organization is now planning to terminate its operations in the occupied territories. Officials are warning that Tel Aviv’s shuttering of UNRWA will have catastrophic consequences for millions of civilians relying on their support.
On Thursday, the New York Times explained, “If Israeli authorities enforce the new laws, UN officials are warning that no other group will be able to replace UNRWA and that its crucial humanitarian operations in Gaza will grind to a halt at a moment when experts say famine is threatening parts of the territory.”
The report adds, “UN officials say they are preparing to shutter UNRWA operations in both Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.”
UNRWA was established in 1949 following the Nakba, or creation of the Israel state, that left hundreds of thousands of Palestinians ethnically cleansed from their villages and forced into refugee camps. Since October 7, 2023, UNRWA has served as the main lifeline for millions of Palestinians in Gaza who are displaced from their homes and on the brink of starvation.
As Haaretz explained, “In Gaza, UNRWA is the only organization with the manpower and infrastructure to provide humanitarian and medical aid, along with other essential services.”
Top Israeli officials have demanded a full end of aid transfers into Gaza, putting Tel Aviv at odds with UNRWA. After Israel released a series of unproven allegations that UNRWA was involved in the October 7 attack, the Knesset passed laws that effectively ban the agency.
The ban on UNRWA is scheduled to take effect later this month.
“It would be a massive impact on an already catastrophic situation,” said Jamie McGoldrick, a former UN official who oversaw aid distribution in Gaza and the West Bank. “If that is what the Israeli intention is — to remove any ability for us to save lives — you have to question what is the thinking and what is the end goal?”
While the Joe Biden administration has asked Israel not to enforce the ban on UNRWA, Tel Aviv has routinely ignored the White House’s demands to allow more aid into Gaza. During that period, where Tel Aviv was openly defying Washington’s commands, the US provided Israel with $22 billion in military aid.
Reprint from Antiwar.com
