On the same day the vote took place, Israeli occupation forces opened fire towards a UN convoy that was heading to Gaza city, despite the vehicles being clearly marked.
Qatar has condemned the Israeli Knesset’s approval of the first reading of a draft law classifying the United Nations Reliefs and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) as “a terrorist organisation,” slamming the move as “a flagrant violation of international laws and norms.”
The Knesset’s draft bill had passed the first reading on Monday after an overwhelming vote in favour of it. The bill would still require passing the second and third readings in a single session in order to come into effect.
In a statement on Tuesday, Qatar’s foreign ministry described the decision as “an extension of the systematic campaign aimed at dismantling” UNRWA at a time when it is direly needed amid the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs renews the State of Qatar’s call for the international community to stand firmly in the face of Israeli plans aimed at liquidating the agency and depriving millions of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon of its necessary services,” the statement added.
The Gulf state also reiterated its “full support for UNRWA.” Qatar had pledged $25 million to support UNRWA in March, which came in addition to the previous commitment to support with $18 million.
Other countries that condemned the latest Israeli move against UNRWA include Türkiye and Jordan.
In a statement on Monday, Palestine’s foreign ministry described the Israeli decision as “a premeditated hostility” that is “part of a systematic incitement campaign carried out by Israel, the occupying power.”
The bill is the latest move under wider Israeli attacks on the agency that has been at the forefront of supplying humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the brutal Israeli war on October 7, 2023.
On the same day the vote took place, Israeli occupation forces opened fire towards a UN convoy that was heading to Gaza city, despite the vehicles being clearly marked with the agency’s name.
“One vehicle received at least five bullets while waiting just ahead of the Israeli Forces’ checkpoint south of Wadi Gaza. The car was severely damaged, it left the convoy. The teams re-assembled & finally reached Gaza City,” Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, said on X on Monday, without reporting casualties.
“Like all other similar UN movements, this movement was coordinated and approved by the Israeli Authorities,” he added.
In January, at least 16 countries decided to halt funding UNRWA after Israel accused 12 of UNRWA’s employees of allegedly being involved in Hamas’s surprise attack of October 7. The countries represented $440mn of the agency’s overall funding.
Some countries have decided to resume funding the agency, including Finland, Sweden, Canada, Australia, Japan, France, the Netherlands, and Italy, among others. The U.S., UNRWA’s largest donor, is reinstating funds next year.
On July 19, the United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced the decision to restore funding to the agency.
The decision came after UN experts expressed disappointment over the freezing of funds to the agency on May 17, despite the lack of evidence regarding the claims against its staff.
“This indicates that UNRWA has yet again been targeted politically at critical moments—raising serious questions about accountability for the damage inflicted both on UNRWA and on the Palestinians in Gaza that the agency serves,” the experts said at the time.
As of July 17, Israel killed 201 UN staff, including 197 from UNRWA, since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip.
Occupation forces have also damaged 189 UNRWA installations in the besieged enclave, with many school-turned shelters belonging to the agency being subjected to numerous attacks.
Such attacks come under Israel’s attempts to cut off the Gaza Strip’s population from aid under the ongoing genocidal war. Since October 7, Israel has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians, mainly women and children, while creating a catastrophic humanitarian crisis.
