On 29 May, a bill aimed at designating the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) as a terrorist organisation passed a preliminary reading in Israel’s parliament, known as the Knesset, prior to three further readings. A second bill that would lead to the severing of all ties with the UN agency and stripping it of various immunities was also proposed, and passed a preliminary reading. These two bills would not only forbid UNRWA from operating in Israel entirely but would also criminalise the organisation, its activities, and its staff.
Christopher Lockyear, Secretary General of MSF International, responds to this news with the following quote:
“The Israeli Knesset’s preliminary bill to designate UNRWA as a terrorist organisation is an outrageous attack on humanitarian assistance, and an act of collective punishment against the Palestinian people. We strongly condemn the proposed designation, and stand in solidarity with UNRWA, which serves as a lifeline, providing essential relief to millions of Palestinians and acting as the backbone of aid delivery to the people in Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and the region.
“By branding the UN agency created to aid Palestinian refugees as a terrorist entity, Israeli authorities would be perpetuating a narrative that vilifies and marginalises an entire population and those who provide them with assistance.
“This follows months of intimidation against UNRWA, including an attack on its offices in Jerusalem. It is the culmination of the continuous, systematic obstruction of vital humanitarian aid, including into the Strip, effectively choking Gaza.
