UNRWA's final hours in Gaza's difficult days

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) is set to take effect on Thursday, with the law banning its activities in the occupied territories. This controversial law was passed in the Israeli Knesset after the Israeli regime’s claims and accusations against the UN agency reached a peak in recent years, especially during the regime’s 15-month war on Gaza.
The ban on UNRWA’s activities throughout Palestine will come into effect at a time when various areas of occupied Palestine are in need of extensive aid, and Gaza has been reduced to rubble after the 15-month war.
What is UNRWA?
UNRWA operates the largest humanitarian network in the world, providing humanitarian assistance to hundreds of thousands of people in the Gaza Strip, the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, and to the Palestinian refugee population throughout the Middle East.
The agency also works with many other agencies and manages schools that have been converted into shelters for displaced civilians from Gaza, which have been repeatedly targeted by Israeli attacks over the past 15 months.
With 13,000 employees, including 5,000 humanitarian workers, UNRWA is a major player in the area.
Since its establishment in 1949 and its launch in May 1950, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has been a life-saving tool for millions of Palestine refugees, providing essential services such as education, health care and food assistance to nearly 5.9 million people across Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.
The agency’s operations have been particularly critical in Gaza, where nearly 2.2 million Palestinians live under Israeli siege, according to the latest figures as of October 2023.
More than 270 UNRWA staff have been killed during the 15-month-long Israeli war on Gaza.
Imminent collapse of humanitarian operations
UNRWA spokesman Jonathan Fowler, on the issue of the imminent implementation of the ban on UNRWA activities in the occupied territories, expressed hope that the law would be lifted in the remaining days, saying: "If UNRWA cannot work, humanitarian operations will collapse, especially at a time when humanitarian operations must grow rapidly."
Stating that the mental, physical wounds and destruction left in Gaza will require many years of healing, he said: "After more than 15 months of devastating Israeli attacks and sieges, hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza are in dire need of humanitarian assistance, as many of the besieged areas they call home are in ruins."
The UNRWA spokesman stressed: "Gaza has become an exception for UNRWA and the agency continues its vital work despite the great risks."
According to Fowler, this poses a serious threat to UNRWA’s ability to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli regime’s stalled war has killed more than 47 Palestinians, mostly women and children, since October 7, 2023.
Pointing to the limited window for providing aid to Gaza, Fowler warned: “If UNRWA cannot operate, then we are approaching the specter of a humanitarian collapse; the humanitarian crisis in Gaza requires a long-term and sustained effort.”
Regarding the scale of aid needed for Gaza, he noted that the current agreement allows for the delivery of 600 trucks per day, which exceeds the minimum of 500 trucks needed to meet survival needs since the start of the war.
Setting a Dangerous Precedent
The law passed by the Israeli Knesset to ban UNRWA’s activities has two parts: one part prohibits UNRWA’s activities in the occupied territories, and the other part outlaws contact between UNRWA officials and the Israeli regime.
This ban is unprecedented and contradicts the obligations of UN members; the implementation of such a ban is also contrary to the UN Charter and the Israeli regime’s obligations under international law and international humanitarian law.
At the same time, the implementation of the UNRWA ban sets a very dangerous precedent for challenging UN institutions and agencies.
Considering the fact that the Israeli regime has openly and brazenly violated and ignored all international laws during the months of the war on Gaza, it is not expected that the regime’s obstruction of UNRWA’s mission will result in any punishment.
Although UNRWA has stated that it will continue to operate even after the ban is implemented, several challenges will arise in implementing UNRWA’s commitments, including the non-issuance of visas for international staff.
This means that UNRWA’s international staff will have to leave occupied East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza.
However, UNRWA will be able to continue providing services to Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria even after the ban is implemented.