GENEVA, October 29. /TASS/. The decision of Israel's Knesset (parliament) to ban the activities of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) contradicts the country’s international obligations, the agency’s Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini said.
"[This decision] opposes the UN Charter and violates the State of Israel’s obligations under international law," he wrote on his X page. According to the agency's chief, the unprecedented move could set a dangerous precedent for other countries.
"These bills will only deepen the suffering of Palestinians, especially in Gaza, where people have been going through more than a year of sheer hell," Lazzarini added. He emphasized that the Knesset's decision is "the latest [step] in the ongoing campaign to discredit UNRWA and delegitimize its role," which will "weaken" the multilateral conflict resolution mechanism "established after World War II."
The Kan radio reported on October 28 that the Knesset had passed a law banning UNRWA from operating in Israel. Ninety-two lawmakers voted for the ban and ten against. The law prohibits the agency from having offices, providing services, or carrying out any activity, directly or indirectly, on Israeli territory.
In early October, the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee approved a draft law banning UNRWA from operating in the country. The draft law was developed in light of information about the involvement of the agency's employees in an attack on Israel carried out by armed supporters of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas on October 7. The Israeli side has repeatedly stated that many UNRWA employees are simultaneously involved in the activities of the Hamas military wing.