UNRWA Ban Goes Into Effect, Implementation Unclear as Agency Continues Relief Efforts
Date: 
February 03 2025
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A complete ban on the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) in the Occupied Palestinian Territories officially went into effect last week on Jan. 30, reports Al Jazeera. 

In an op-ed published on Dec. 20, 2024, UNRWA Commissioner, Phillippe Lazzarini, wrote that the ban “would cripple the humanitarian response in Gaza and deprive millions of Palestine refugees of essential services in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. They would also eliminate a vocal witness to the countless horrors and injustices Palestinians have endured for decades.”

In October 2024, one year into the genocide in Gaza, the Israeli Knesset passed two laws aimed at eradicating the UNRWA. One law designated the relief agency as a “terrorist organization” and the other forbade the agency from operating on “Israeli land.” Considering Israel occupies all of Palestine, the ban includes all regions, including East Jerusalem and Gaza.

The United Nations has refused to cease operations in Occupied Palestine, stating that “UNRWA will continue working in all Palestinian territories, including east Jerusalem,” regardless of Israel cutting ties with the quasi-governmental organization.

UNRWA has been a consistent and reliable relief agency that has aided Palestinian refugees across the Middle East for over seven decades. It was established in 1949 in response to the Nakba, when over 700,000 Palestinians were displaced from their homeland by Zionist militia in 1948.

Attacks on the humanitarian organization skyrocketed after Oct. 7, 2023. Without any substantial evidence, Israel accused 12 UNRWA staff members of participating in the Al Aqsa Flood Operation. Since the false allegations, UNRWA has been at the behest of international funding cuts and now, an all-out ban. 

The enforcement of this ban is expected to cause a crisis across Occupied Palestine. UNRWA provides millions of Palestinian refugees with food, medical care, and education, explains Mondoweiss. As Gaza enters a new chapter, one of navigating society and life post-ceasefire, its entire population will be increasingly more reliant on UNRWA now more than ever. In the besieged strip, 74-year-old Abu Nael Hamouda told Al Jazeera that UNRWA is “the lung that Palestinian refugees breathe from.”

In addition, thousands of Palestinians are employed by UNRWA making it a lifeline for those who utilize its services as well as those who provide the services.

In an interview with ABC News, UNRWA communications director Juliette Touma reiterated that the organization plans to continue toundertake [its] duties — that is to deliver services and humanitarian assistance to people wherever they are in the occupied Palestinian territory.” 

Touma also told The Guardian that although the agency does not plan to end its lifesaving work, “We are in the dark. We have not received any instructions from Israel [on] how the ban will be enforced beyond being told to vacate.”

Implementation of the ban has caused outrage and sparked international condemnation. Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that this ban “will be devastating for Palestinians and their access to healthcare.” 

MSF deputy head of emergencies, Claire Nicolet, added, “Restricting a UN organi[z]ation… sets a dangerous precedent threatening the delivery of impartial humanitarian aid.” 

Legal Officer at the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians, Zaki Sarraf, encompassed the cruel effect of this ban in an op-ed for Middle East Eye, “The apocalyptic conditions in Gaza are exacerbated not only by the brutal war crimes committed by the Israeli military but also by Israel's deliberate efforts to delegitimize key international institutions like UNRWA. By undermining their credibility and obstructing their work, Israel deepens the humanitarian crisis with far-reaching and lethal consequences for countless Palestinian civilians.”

About The Author: 

Asma Barakat is a Palestinian writer, oral historian, and embroidery artist. She has authored over a dozen blog posts for Palestine Square, with her primary focus being on the genocide in Gaza. In 2022, she co-created an oral history archive titled ‘Rooted in Palestine,' where she collected oral history interviews from Palestinian refugees, forced migrants, and their descendants. Her Palestinian-style embroidery has been featured in Adi Magazine.

Asma holds an M.A. in Sociology from The New School and a B.A. in Political Science from Montclair State University. The combination of her degrees has provided her with a unique perspective in analyzing the political and social consequences of settler-colonialism regarding Palestine.

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