The International Commission (Hashd) Israeli Knesset’s Approval of the Law Banning “UNRWA” in Palestine is an International Crime, a Challenge to United Nations Resolutions, and a Continuation of Genocide in Gaza with a Clear Attempt to Eliminate the Refugee Issue

Date: October 29, 2024

Press Release

The International Commission (Hashd) Israeli Knesset’s Approval of the Law Banning “UNRWA” in Palestine is an International Crime, a Challenge to United Nations Resolutions, and a Continuation of Genocide in Gaza with a Clear Attempt to Eliminate the Refugee Issue

The International Commission to Support Palestinian People’s Rights (Hashd) condemns and denounces the Israeli Knesset’s second and third reading approval of the so-called law prohibiting the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Palestinian territories. This action blatantly challenges the United Nations Charter, Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, particularly Resolution 302, which established UNRWA. It also disregards rulings of the International Court of Justice and international legal standards that guarantee immunity and operations of international organizations, ignoring all international condemnations and warnings. This move will hinder and prevent UNRWA from operating in the occupied Palestinian territories.

This international crime is part of the ongoing objectives of the genocidal war in Gaza aimed at eradicating the Palestinian cause and stripping Palestinian refugees of their rights. It follows a series of Israeli violations and crimes against UNRWA, including targeting UNRWA staff, resulting in the death of over 200 employees during the continuous aggression and genocide lasting over a year. Additionally, more than 60 UNRWA employees were detained, subjected to torture to force confessions of cooperation with Palestinian resistance factions. Furthermore, Israel has repeatedly denied entry to the Commissioner-General and other international staff to the occupied Palestinian territories, attacked UNRWA buildings and facilities by bombing, raiding, destroying, and burning them, and massacred forcibly displaced civilians in shelters, causing certain countries to withhold or suspend their financial commitments to UNRWA. This has severely impacted the international organization’s ability to provide essential health, education, and relief services, especially in Gaza.

Banning the agency’s operations will mean the collapse of humanitarian relief efforts for over 2 million displaced people, as UNRWA is the lifeline for Gaza’s residents amid continuous war and starvation. This jeopardizes the safety, dignity, and lives of millions of Palestinian refugees in Gaza and other areas where UNRWA operates, who depend on emergency food and relief assistance.

The International Commission to Support Palestinian People’s Rights (Hashd) warns of the consequences of the Israeli Knesset’s approval of the law prohibiting UNRWA’s operations, the impacts on humanitarian and relief services provided to Palestinian refugees, and the effects on vulnerable groups, including children, women, and the elderly. Hashd further warns of the implications of continued silence and international inaction regarding crimes against UNRWA, its employees, and facilities, as well as the ongoing genocide against Palestinians. This inaction essentially solidifies the rule of force and poses a genuine threat to international peace and security.

The International Commission (Hashd) considers the Israeli Knesset’s law to ban UNRWA’s work in Palestinian territories an international crime that contradicts the United Nations Charter and international law, amounting to a death sentence for Palestinian refugees, particularly those in Gaza facing extreme conditions. Hashd commends the high professionalism with which UNRWA manages its administrative, field, and relief operations and acknowledges its humanitarian role in supporting Palestinian refugees in its areas of operation, particularly in Gaza, where over 200 UNRWA staff members have been killed and around 300 UNRWA schools, clinics, and centers destroyed during the ongoing aggression. Hashd calls on the United Nations and the international community to:

1.Ensure the continuation of UNRWA’s work and support it in fulfilling its mission while holding Israel accountable for its crimes against UNRWA, including incitement against it, obstruction of its work, destruction, and confiscation of its facilities, and killing and torturing its staff.

2.Clearly reject this racist and illegal law, as even domestic laws should not conflict with international law, and emphasize that Israel does not grant authority to international organizations deriving their mandate from the UN General Assembly. Furthermore, resist Israel’s campaigns of incitement and false accusations aimed at ending UNRWA’s role and obstructing its operations.

3.Emphasize UNRWA’s humanitarian and relief role, which it has fulfilled since its establishment following the 1948 Nakba to the present day, contributing to its mandate centered on upholding the dignity and rights of Palestinian refugees, providing relief and employment, and implementing UN Resolution 194 on refugees’ right to return and compensation.

4.Take decisive stances by declaring Israel a rogue state, expelling it from the United Nations, and revoking international recognition until it ceases its crimes and adheres to the UN Charter and resolutions. Apply sufficient diplomatic and legal pressure and impose sanctions, holding Israel accountable for crimes against UNRWA, its staff, and facilities, while supporting UNRWA and enhancing international cooperation to achieve the objectives of the UN and its agencies.

5.Convene an urgent United Nations General Assembly meeting under the “Uniting for Peace” framework to take measures to deter the occupying state, ensure further protection for UNRWA’s operations, and refer Israeli crimes against UNRWA to the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.

6.Agree on establishing an additional international mechanism to provide all forms of protection, financial and diplomatic support to UNRWA, ensuring the continuity of its operations in all areas, particularly Gaza, the West Bank, and occupied Jerusalem.

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