On Monday, the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, passed a bill to ban the Palestinian Refugee Agency. Banning this UN-affiliated agency simply means it could lead to a cut in international aid reaching the Gaza Strip or West Bank. The ban proposal had already been under discussion for some time, for which Tel Aviv was also criticized. Even after this, why did Israel make this decision? What is Israel’s accusation against this agency?
What is this agency?
The full name of UNRWA is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. It has been carrying out relief and rehabilitation work on behalf of the United Nations throughout the Middle East, including Palestine. Its main objective is to provide basic facilities to Palestinian refugees and ensure the education of children.
where does she work
It operates mainly in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Israeli-occupied Jerusalem, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria, where Palestinian refugees are settled. However, its work began in the year 1948, when more than 7 lakh Palestinians were displaced during the Israeli War of Independence.
What kind of work does she do?
In addition to basic help, this organization also provided medical help. It currently has around 150 health centres, where around 8.5 lakh patients are treated annually. In addition, more than three thousand doctors and health workers residing in this area work there. The special thing about the agency is that most of the people who work in it are from Palestine. They understand the needs of their people. According to The Guardian report, around 6 million refugees receive aid through this means. These are those refugees who are registered with the UN.
During the year of conflict in Gaza, almost the entire population has become dependent on Gaza for their basic needs such as food, water and sanitary supplies. During the war, more than two hundred people working at the UN died while providing aid.
Why did Israel vote against the agency?
On Monday, 92 deputies in the Tel Aviv Parliament voted to ban the agency’s activities. Only 10 deputies opposed it. Another bill also arrived, which also ended diplomatic relations with UNRWA. Israel thinks this agency is no longer necessary. The next generations of people who were displaced in 1948 continually receive your help, so the path to peace becomes difficult.
Hamas people were working in the organization!
This is also a big accusation. During the war, Israel claimed that the UN agency, in addition to ordinary people, had also hired people from Hamas so that they could sow trouble. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had long ago called on the United States to reduce funding to the agency. Let us tell you here that the United States is its largest financier. He also shared a report with the US, in which several agency employees have been accused of involvement in the attacks of October 7 last year.
Amid the continuing accusations, the UN fired some of its employees from work. But he refused to believe that he knowingly helps any armed group.
What will change with the ban?
Under the new law, UNRWA will not be able to run any organization or carry out any activities in the name of helping Palestinians in the Middle East after the next few months (currently this period is three months). Opponents now argue that refugees already live in hardship in many places, including Gaza. In such a situation, due to the agency’s ban, their usual support will also be taken away. Let us tell you that most of UNRWA’s work is done in the West Bank and Gaza. To do this, it depends on Israel to bring aid into the interior through the Gaza border.
What other aid organizations are active in Gaza?
– UNICEF is also here, working on the care, education and health of children and mothers.
– The role of WHO is to provide health-related services. In addition, it also provides emergency health services.
The job of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is to provide humanitarian aid.
– The World Food Program continued to provide food assistance and ensure nutrition to pregnant women and children.
