The majority in the Knesset passed on Monday evening, to strong protests from the outside world, a law banning UNRWA from operating in Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories from next year. The bill was passed by 92 to 10 votes after a heated debate in the National Assembly in Jerusalem. Later on Monday evening, the National Assembly will take a decision on another bill which seeks to break Israel’s diplomatic ties with UNRWA. If it is adopted, it means that the Israeli authorities are prohibited from having any contact whatsoever with the UN organisation. The law was passed despite strong protests from the UN, EU, USA and a number of other countries. Israel’s closest ally, the United States, made it clear to Israel just before the vote that it was very concerned about the bill. UNWRA condemns Israel’s ban and calls it “outrageous” and that it would mean “the collapse of the entire humanitarian process”, writes Reuters. UNRWA has provided aid to millions of displaced Palestinians for over 70 years. They have continued to work, while the war in Gaza has raged. The organization was established by a UN resolution in 1949 to help the many hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled their homes when the state of Israel was established. A truck with an UNRWA logo was smashed in an Israeli attack in Deir el-Balah on 23 October. Photo: EYAD BABA / AFP – Complete disaster Jan Egeland is secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council. He reacts strongly to the new laws. – This is a complete disaster for an already tormented Palestinian population both in Gaza and in the West Bank, he says to news. Egelend points out that UNRWA has managed to build up a fairly efficient health service and education system and provides emergency aid to millions. – All this is now falling apart because the extremists took over in Israel, both in the Knesset and in the government, says Egeland. The consequences of the new laws could be great, he says. – The question is whether they will come to their senses in the implementation of the resolutions. But if they are carried out as they have now been adopted, it means that UNRWA cannot cross into and out of Gaza and the West Bank. Their work is paralyzed, says Egeland. But other humanitarian aid organisations, such as the Norwegian Refugee Council, are also paralyzed by this, he emphasises. – UNRWA stands for common services for all the aid organisations. Among other things, fuel, a good part of the communication and transport inside Gaza. We carry out relief work at UNRWA’s schools, says Egeland. He believes that parts of the government in Israel, such as Interior Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, actually want to expel the Palestinians and take control of Palestinian territory. – Destroying this organization will be part of this extremist plan, says Egeland. He points out that UNRWA is far larger than all other aid organizations in Gaza, including Unicef, the World Food Program and the Red Cross, combined. Norway has strongly warned against adopting the laws. – It would be a direct disaster for vulnerable Palestinians, said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap) to news ahead of the decision. People search for survivors in the rubble after an Israeli attack on the Maghazi refugee camp in Gaza on October 24. Maghazi is among the many permanent Palestinian refugee camps established in the late 1940s and still standing today. Photo: EYAD BABA / AFP – May be in violation of international law The bill may be in violation of international law, including international humanitarian law, said the foreign ministers of the four Nordic countries, including Espen Barth Eide (Ap), in a joint statement on Wednesday. They also said it could contravene the measures imposed by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). On Saturday, there was also a joint statement from the foreign ministers of a further seven countries: Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Korea and Great Britain. They too warn of “catastrophic” consequences without UNRWA. Especially in northern Gaza. Palestinian emergency services say on Monday that about 100,000 people are trapped in the north of the Gaza Strip without access to food, medicine and fuel as a result of the Israeli siege. The Israeli military (IDF) says it is conducting a major operation there to weed out militant Hamas members and prevent them from regrouping. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 96 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours alone. The number of people killed since October last year has thus passed 43,000 people. The majority of victims are children and women. UNRWA has long been a horn in the side for many in Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Among other things, Israel has claimed that 450 UNRWA employees worked for militant groups in Gaza and that several participated in the terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October last year. Several countries put payments to UNRWA on hold. Norway was not among them. An independent commission of inquiry later determined that Israel lacked evidence. UNRWA also fired around 20 staff for having a role in the 7 October attack. Published 28.10.2024, at 20.11 Updated 28.10.2024, at 20.47
ttn-69
– Complete disaster for the Palestinians – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
