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From Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA Commissioner-General as posted on his official X account (previously known as Twitter)\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n AMMAN<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cYesterday\u2019s\u00a0vote\u00a0by\u00a0the\u00a0Israeli parliament passing new legislation against UNRWA is outrageous. It is a direct affront to the mandate granted to the Agency by the UN General Assembly and contrary to findings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which oblige Israel to fulfil its responsibilities as a UN Member State to UNRWA and the broader UN system.<\/p>\n The legislation cuts off water, electricity, fuel, and communications from UNRWA and grants the government of Israel authority to expropriate UN properties in East Jerusalem, including UNRWA\u2019s headquarters and its main vocational training centre.<\/p>\n Furthermore, the bill explicitly excludes UNRWA from Israeli law enacting Israel\u2019s obligations under the\u00a0Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations<\/a><\/em>. This stands in clear violation of the State of Israel\u2019s obligations under international law.<\/p>\n This latest move extends the laws passed last year and implemented since January 2025 that banned UNRWA\u2019s operations in occupied East Jerusalem and halted all contact between Israeli officials and UNRWA.<\/p>\n The new legislation is a further blow to the multilateral system.\u00a0It\u00a0is part of an ongoing,\u00a0systematic campaign to\u00a0discredit\u00a0UNRWA\u00a0and thereby obstruct the core role that the Agency plays in providing human-development\u00a0assistance\u00a0and services to\u00a0Palestine Refugees. Services which the ICJ has ruled are essential for delivering on the UN\u2019s commitment to the rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination.<\/p>\n In October<\/a><\/em>, the ICJ restated that the State of Israel is obliged under international law to facilitate UNRWA\u2019s operations, not hinder or prevent them. This new legislation is an unacceptable rejection of the ICJ\u2019s findings.<\/p>\n Israel is obliged to act within the UN framework and not take unilateral action contrary to its obligations under the UN Charter. Should Israel dispute the actions of UNRWA, it must refer the issue to the UN\u2019s deliberative bodies and seek a decisive ruling from the ICJ. A failure to do so disrespects the procedures critical to the operation of the UN system.<\/p>\n Despite Israel\u2019s obligations, these legislative steps have been accompanied by unilateral actions on the ground that show a repeated disregard for international law.<\/p>\n Earlier this month, Israeli officials stormed UNRWA\u2019s compound in East Jerusalem \u2013 which is a UN premises \u2013 and tore down the UN flag, replacing it with an Israeli flag. And in May, they forced the closure of UNRWA\u2019s schools in East Jerusalem, depriving hundreds of Palestine Refugee children of their right to education.<\/p>\n Israel\u2019s unilateral actions are having a\u00a0direct operational\u00a0and legal\u00a0impact on UNRWA\u2019s services\u00a0in the occupied\u00a0Palestinian\u00a0territory,\u00a0including in Gaza, where the Agency is the backbone of the international humanitarian operation. As Gaza, the West Bank, and the wider region continue to face conflict and turmoil, UNRWA \u2013\u00a0more than ever\u00a0\u2013\u00a0is irreplaceable.<\/p>\n Legislation against UNRWA is also a further setback to efforts\u00a0to reach\u00a0a just and lasting diplomatic\u00a0solution\u00a0to the decades\u2019 long\u00a0Israeli-Palestinian\u00a0conflict.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Pending such a solution, UNRWA is mandated\u00a0to provide services,\u00a0especially\u00a0health and education,\u00a0to Palestine Refugees.<\/p>\n The rights of Palestine Refugees exist separate to UNRWA, under international human rights law, international humanitarian law, and UN General Assembly resolutions, including\u00a0Resolution 194<\/a><\/em>, adopted in 1948, a year before UNRWA was created in\u00a0Resolution 302<\/a><\/em>.\u00a0Even if UNRWA no longer existed, these rights would endure.<\/p>\n The current and earlier legislation passed by the Israeli parliament also rejects the principal obligation of UN Member States to respect the UN\u2019s independence and its privileges and immunities. It creates a grave precedent for other conflict situations where governments may wish to\u00a0eliminate\u00a0an inconvenient UN presence.<\/p>\n It therefore targets not just UNRWA, but any individual or entity calling for compliance with international law and a peaceful political solution. Failing to push back against attempts to intimidate and undermine the UN in the occupied Palestinian territory will eventually compromise humanitarian and human rights work worldwide. \u201c<\/p>\n Related content:<\/p>\n
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