By the end of January, 2.3 million Palestinian refugees in Gaza and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, may face a critical juncture as Israel enforces legislative measures to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). These measures are seen as part of systematic efforts targeting an agency that embodies the enduring Palestinian Nakba.
The Israeli decision threatens to deprive refugees of vital services, potentially dismantling access to humanitarian aid, healthcare, and education. The consequences of such actions are anticipated to deepen the humanitarian crisis and worsen living conditions for millions.
In Gaza, the implications are particularly severe. UNRWA serves as a lifeline for nearly one million refugees trapped in an unrelenting blockade by land, sea, and air. This latest legislative blow follows what many have described as a "genocidal war" on Gaza since October 2023, further compounding the suffering of an already devastated population.
The new laws, passed by the Israeli Knesset in October 2024, signal the end of longstanding agreements with UNRWA, in place since 1967, governing its operations in the West Bank and Gaza. The measures include freezing UNRWA's bank accounts and banning all forms of cooperation with its staff, effectively dismantling the agency’s ability to function.
UNRWA, mandated by the UN General Assembly in 1949, has warned that these steps jeopardise its ability to fulfil its mission. Calls from UN officials to reverse the decisions have been dismissed, leaving Palestinian refugees both within and beyond the occupied territories in a state of profound uncertainty. Observers warn of an existential threat to the right of return and caution that efforts to displace Palestinians and resettle them in other countries may already be underway.
As Gaza plunges deeper into crisis and refugee camps across Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan struggle with mounting instability, the absence of UNRWA’s support threatens to exacerbate humanitarian despair. With no alternative framework in place and a trust deficit in proposed replacements, the Israeli measures represent not only a humanitarian failure but also a blatant violation of international agreements, renewing calls for accountability on the global stage.
Source : Safa News