Israeli lawmakers are set to vote on two bills that would severely hamper the United Nations’ ability to provide assistance to Palestinian refugees in territories occupied by Israel, despite intense international pressure to drop the effort.
The bills, which are scheduled for a vote in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, on Monday, would prevent staff and aid provided by UNRWA – the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees – from transiting Israel.
The bills do not technically bar the agency from operating in the Israeli-occupied territories such as Gaza and areas of the West Bank controlled by the Palestinian Authority, but the legislation would significantly limit UNRWA’s ability to respond to events in those areas.
The agency has long been the target of Israeli criticism, especially after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, terrorist attack.
The votes are expected to go ahead despite international pressure from the United States and other Western nations.
On Monday, the foreign ministers of Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement calling on Israel to halt the legislation, expressing “grave concern,” especially in light of the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
“UNRWA provides essential and life-saving humanitarian aid and basic services to Palestinian refugees in Gaza, East Jerusalem, the West Bank and throughout the region,” the statement read.
“Without its work, the provision of such assistance and services, including education, health care, and fuel distribution in Gaza and the West Bank would be severely hampered if not impossible, with devastating consequences on an already critical and rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation, particularly in northern Gaza.”
