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The Israeli Knesset passed a final resolution today to prohibit the operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) within areas Israel considers under its sovereignty, including Jerusalem and other parts of Israel.

The new law states that “no UNRWA activities shall take place on Israeli territory,” prohibiting the agency from operating any representative office, providing services, or conducting any activities, directly or indirectly, within Israel.

The Knesset statement said the bill, introduced by MP Boaz Bismuth, marks a first in ending UNRWA’s activities in Israel. Following its second and third readings, the bill has now entered the official legal record of Israel.

The legislation, according to its proponents, aims to “prevent any UNRWA activities on Israeli soil.” The bill stipulates that UNRWA shall not operate any representative office, provide services, or engage in any activity in Israeli territory.

In response, the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO)’s Refugee Affairs Department condemned the Knesset’s move to pass the bill in its final readings. The department warned that the new Israeli law undermines UNRWA’s mandate and the agency’s longstanding operations in Gaza and the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem.

Dr. Ahmed Abu Holi, a member of the PLO Executive Committee and head of the Refugee Affairs Department, stated that Israel’s systematic actions aim to dismantle UNRWA’s work, attempting to replace it with alternative humanitarian agencies as part of a wider strategy to dissolve the Palestinian refugee issue and undermine their right to return. Abu Holi asserted that the right of return for refugees is safeguarded under international law and cannot be annulled by Israeli policies.

He further described the law as a direct violation of UN principles and international agreements. He highlighted that it infringes upon the General Assembly’s mandates to protect international organisations, notably Resolution 302, which established UNRWA, and the UN Security Council’s recent Resolution 2730, passed in May 2024, requiring countries to safeguard UN institutions and humanitarian workers.

Abu Holi warned of the law’s adverse impact on prospects for peace and security across the region, as well as the humanitarian response efforts led by UNRWA, which serve as a lifeline for 1.9 million displaced persons in Gaza amid ongoing hardships.

He pointed out that this Israeli law effectively shuts down diplomatic engagement with UNRWA, nullifying existing agreements, including the 1967 Comay-Michelmore Agreement. It also exposes UNRWA facilities and staff in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza to targeting by Israel’s occupation authorities.

Over the past three years, Abu Holi stated, Israel has actively sought to vilify and defund UNRWA, labelled the agency as a “terror” organisation, and targeted its facilities. He pointed to incidents where settlers attacked its headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah, and Israel barred UNRWA’s Commissioner-General from entering the country. More than 233 UNRWA employees have been killed, hundreds arrested, and 200 facilities destroyed in Gaza – yet the UN has remained silent, he noted.

Abu Holi stressed that Israeli impunity and U.S. support, combined with a lack of international accountability, have emboldened Israel to continue its aggression. He urged the international community to decisively oppose Israeli plans to dismantle or undermine UNRWA’s mandate, ensuring that Israel respects UNRWA’s status, facilities, and operations.

He called upon UN member states to bolster political and financial support for UNRWA, enabling it to continue its work across its five areas of operation, including Jerusalem, until a fair political resolution for refugees is reached as per Resolution 194. He also called upon the UN Secretary-General to bring Israel’s policies before the General Assembly and urged UNRWA’s Commissioner-General to challenge these laws legally within the General Assembly and refer them to the International Court of Justice.

“We need a tangible translation of the UN General Assembly’s commitment to UNRWA,” said Abu Holi, “through effective measures against Israel to compel it to comply with UN resolutions and respect UNRWA’s mandate, allowing global voices for justice to press Israel to repeal its discriminatory laws against UNRWA.”