Ireland has joined other European Union member states in condemning the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, for approving new laws that prohibit the Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA's activity within Israel and ban contact by Israeli state authorities with UNRWA.
The Governments of Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, and Spain said in a joint statement on Monday saying that they "condemn the approval by the Knesset of legislation to prevent UNRWA from operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
“UNRWA has a mandate from the United Nations General Assembly. The work of the Agency is essential and irreplaceable for millions of Palestinian refugees in the region, and particularly in the current context in Gaza.
"The legislation approved by the Knesset sets a very serious precedent for the work of the United Nations and for all organizations of the multilateral system.
“Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, and Spain will continue to work with donor and host countries to ensure the viability of UNRWA's work and its humanitarian.”
Taoiseach Simon Harris said in his own statement on Monday: “I strongly condemn the passage of legislation in the Israeli Knesset that forbids contact between the Israeli State and UNRWA.
“If implemented, it will make it impossible for UNRWA to carry out its vital role across the region, including bringing humanitarian assistance to people in desperate need.
"It breaches Israel’s obligations in international law. UNRWA saves lives. If it cannot carry out its mission, people will die.
“UNRWA works on a mandate given to it by the United Nations. All member states should condemn the legislation, call on Israel to repeal it immediately and redouble their support to UNRWA and the Palestinian people.”
Tonight’s vote in Israel to ban UNRWA is disastrous and shameful. It’ll go down in history as the moment Israel voted to cut off an irreplaceable humanitarian pipeline to a humanitarian disaster zone.
— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) October 28, 2024
Tanaiste Micheál Martin also shared his condemnation, saying that the international community must stand against it.
I strongly condemn the Israeli parliament’s approval of a law banning UNRWA from working in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Such a move would be unacceptable and have grave consequences for Palestinians.
The international community must stand against this.
Joint statement: pic.twitter.com/jvulIaop9l
— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) October 28, 2024
UNRWA, which operates in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, The Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1949.
It has a mandate to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to registered Palestine refugees in the Agency’s area of operations.
CNN reported on Monday that following the passing of the first law, Boaz Bismuth, a member of Likud, the architect of the bill, said: “Anyone that behaves like a terrorist has no rights in Israel…. UNRWA equals Hamas, period.”
On Tuesday, António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the UN, said he is "deeply concerned" by the Knesset's adoption of the two laws regarding UNRWA.
"The implementation of these laws would be detrimental for the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and for peace and security in the region as a whole," Guterres said in his statement.
If implemented, the laws adopted today by the Knesset of Israel would likely prevent @UNRWA from continuing its essential work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, with devastating consequences for Palestine refugees.
I call on Israel to act consistently with its obligations…
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) October 29, 2024
Meanwhile, Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA Commissioner-General, said in a letter on Tuesday to Philémon Yang, President of the UN's General Assembly, that the Knesset's adoption of the two laws "in effect denies the protections and means essential for UNRWA to operate, forbidding Israeli state officials from contact with UNRWA or its representatives, and prohibiting UNRWA operations within what is referred to as the sovereign territory of the State of Israel."
Lazzarini continued: "Dismantling UNRWA will have a catastrophic impact on the international response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. It will also sabotage any chance of recovery."
He added: "Today, even as we look into the faces of children in Gaza, some of whom we know will die tomorrow, the rules-based international order is crumbling in a repetition of the horrors that led to the establishment of the United Nations, and in violation of commitments to prevent their recurrence. The attacks on UNRWA are an integral part of this disintegration."
Lazzarini said he is seeking UN Member States' support "to ensure the Agency’s ability to fully implement the mandate conferred by the General Assembly."
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