EU says Israeli ban of UNRWA would be ‘disastrous’ for refugees

The European Union has warned of “disastrous consequences” if Israel’s parliament passes a bill which would outlaw the UN agency for Palestinian refugees from operating in Israel.

In a statement, the EU Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell said the bloc was gravely concerned about the consequences for people in Gaza if the Knesset passes the draft legislation.

“The EU urges the Israeli authorities to ensure that UNRWA is allowed to continue carrying out its crucial work in line with its mandate adopted by the UN General Assembly. UNRWA provides essential services to millions of people in Gaza, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and across the region, including Lebanon, Syria and Jordan and is a pillar of regional stability,” Borrell’s statement said.

“The EU is a firm supporter of the United Nations and the multilateral and rules-based global governance system of which UNRWA, as a UN agency, is a part.”

Those comments come after an an Israeli parliamentary committee approved a bill earlier this week that would ban UNRWA from operating in Israeli territory.

It would also sever official contact between the Israeli government and the UN agency.

Since 1949, UNRWA has been the main organisation responsible for delivering humanitarian aid to Palestinians in occupied territories and providing services for Palestinian refugees in other countries.

But for years, Israel has lobbied against its work, alleging the body has links to terrorist groups.

Earlier this year, Israel alleged that some of the agency’s staff participated in the Hamas’ attack on southern Israel on 7 October last year, an incursion that sparked the war in Gaza.

The US State Department said in January that the Israeli allegations related to 12 UNRWA employees.

Funding suspended

Those claims led to more than a dozen international donors suspending financial support to the humanitarian agency.

In Europe, Austria, Lithuania, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the UK all froze payments to UNRWA.

Ireland and Norway said at the start of the year that their payments to the agency – which plays a pivotal role in ensuring life-saving aid reaches the population of Gaza – would continue.

The UN launched an investigation into the Israeli allegations and dismissed nine staff. Most donors subsequently reinstated funding.