The Israeli parliament will hold a preliminary vote designating the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA as a terrorist organisation, The Jerusalem Post reported on Sunday.
The Knesset will vote in the first reading on the bill on Wednesday, the report said.
If the bill passes, Israel will then sever all ties with the body that is the main relief service provider for 5.9 Palestinian refugees across the Middle East.
“The purpose of this bill is to declare UNRWA as a terrorist organization for all intents and purposes as well as order the termination of the relations [and the cooperation] of the State of Israel with the agency, either directly or indirectly,” Yisrael Beiteinu MK Yulia Malinovksy wrote in the introduction to the bill, which she authored.
The legislative push against UNRWA from Israel comes as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the wider international community have criticised Israel for blocking the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza, leading to famine. ….more
