In 28 October, the Israeli parliament officially labelled the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (Unrwa) a “terrorist organisation“.
Israel’s unauthenticated and uncorroborated allegations, to which the agency has responded with precautionary suspensions, is that Unrwa’s staff participated in the attacks of 7 October.
Two new laws have been approved by the Knesset, which will come into effect in 90 days, and which criminalise and de-facto expel the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
Unrwa’s commissioner-general, Philippe Lazzarini, has warned that the Knesset vote “opposes the UN Charter and violates the State of Israel’s obligations under international law”.
In a letter to the president of the UN General Assembly, Lazzarini added that “under such physical, political and operational attack” Unrwa’s fulfilling of its mandate will become impossible without the intervention of the General Assembly……more