Israel’s parliament has passed two laws that could prevent the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, a main provider of aid to Gaza, from being able to continue its work.
The laws ban the agency, UNRWA, from operating in Israel, designate it a terror organisation, and cut all ties between the agency and the Israeli government.
The agency is the major distributor of aid in Gaza and provides education, health and other basic services to millions of Palestinian refugees across the region, including in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The head of the agency, Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini, called the move “unprecedented” on X following the vote and said the bills “will only deepen the suffering Palestinians, especially in Gaza where people have been going through more than a year of sheer hell.”
The first vote passed 92-10 and followed a fiery debate between supporters of the law and its opponents, mostly members of Arab parliamentary parties. The second law was approved 87-9.
The bills would come into effect 60 to 90 days after Israel’s foreign ministry notifies the UN, according to the spokesman for politician Dan Illouz, one of the co-sponsors of one of the Bills.
The legislation risks severely affecting the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
More than 1.9 million Palestinians are displaced from their homes and Gaza faces widespread shortages of food, water and medicine.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said UNRWA workers must be held accountable for what he called their “terrorist activities” against the country.
In a post on X, Netanyahu also said sustained humanitarian aid must remain available in Gaza “now and in the future”.
The laws mark the culmination of a long-running campaign against UNRWA, which Israel contends has been infiltrated by Hamas.
Israel accuses the agency of turning a blind eye to staff members it says belong to Hamas, divert aid and use UNRWA facilities for military purposes. Israel says around a dozen of its 13,000 employees in Gaza participated in the 7 October attack on southern Israel.
The agency denies it knowingly aids armed groups and says it acts quickly to purge any suspected militants among its staff. Supporters say Israel’s real aim is to sideline the issue of Palestinian refugees.
International aid groups and a handful of Israel’s western allies, including the US, have voiced strong opposition.
US state department spokesman Matthew Miller, speaking to reporters in Washington, said the administration was “deeply concerned” by the legislation.
“There’s nobody that can replace them right now in the middle of the crisis,” he said.
“UNRWA is the largest humanitarian organisation in Gaza. Who can do its job?” said Juliette Touma, communications director for the agency.
This story is being updated.