![Israeli soldiers operate next to the UNRWA headquarters in the Gaza Strip, in February 2024 [File: Dylan Martinez/Reuters]](/Uploads/Images/News/2024/10/Image-2632-20241029070355.webp)
‘Intolerable’, ‘dangerous precedent’: World condemns Israel’s UNRWA ban
The new Israeli laws will prevent UNRWA from providing life-saving support to Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
The United Nations and countries across the globe have denounced Israel after its parliament passed two laws that brands the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) a “terror” group and bans the humanitarian organisation from operating on Israeli soil.
The legislation, approved on Monday, would – if implemented – prevent UNRWA from providing life-saving support to Palestinians across Israeli-occupied Gaza and the West Bank.
UNRWA was created by the UN General Assembly in 1949 to support Palestinian refugees expelled from their homes during the creation of Israel and it remains the main organisation providing humanitarian services in Gaza, and supports millions of Palestinians refugees in the occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria.
Here’s a round-up of the global reaction to Israel’s move:
Palestine
The Palestinian presidency rejected and condemned the Israeli legislation.
“We will not allow this. The overwhelming vote of the Knesset reflects Israel’s transformation into a fascist state,” said Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesman for the presidency in Ramallah.
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