The Guardian reports:

Israel’s parliament has voted to ban the UN relief and works agency (Unrwa) from the country within 90 days, in defiance of US and other international pressure to maintain the largest provider of humanitarian assistance to the country’s Palestinian population.

In a 92-10 vote late on Monday, the Knesset banned the agency, which operates in Israel according to a 1967 treaty, from conducting “any activity” or providing any service inside Israel, including the areas of annexed East Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank.

Israeli lawmakers also voted to declare Unrwa a terror group, effectively banning any direct interaction between the UN agency and the Israeli state.

Taken together, the legislation – which will not come into effect immediately – is expected to lead to the closure of Unrwa’s East Jerusalem headquarters and would effectively block the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza via Rafah. The severing of diplomatic relations would preclude Israel from issuing entry and work permits to foreign Unrwa staff and prevent coordination with the Israeli military to permit aid shipments.

More than 1.9 million Palestinians are displaced and the Gaza Strip faces widespread shortages of food, water and medicine.

“It’s outrageous that a member state of the United Nations is working to dismantle a UN agency which also happens to be the largest responder in the humanitarian operation in Gaza,” Juliette Touma, spokesperson for Unrwa, said in a statement.

In a statement, Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of Unrwa, called the vote “unprecedented” and said it “sets a dangerous precedent”.

“These bills will only deepen the suffering of Palestinians, especially in Gaza where people have been going through more than a year of sheer hell,” he said.

Keir Starmer, the prime minister, said the UK was “gravely concerned” that the bill had passed, adding: “This legislation risks making Unrwa’s essential work for Palestinians impossible, jeopardising the entire international humanitarian response in Gaza and delivery of essential health and education services in the West Bank.

“The humanitarian situation in Gaza is simply unacceptable. We need to see an immediate ceasefire, the release of the hostages and a significant increase in aid to Gaza. Under its international obligations, Israel must ensure sufficient aid reaches civilians in Gaza.”

Speaking at a daily briefing, the US state department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, said Washington was “deeply concerned” about the vote and had urged Israel to “pause implementation” of the legislation, which could “have implications under US law”.

US law prevents Washington from providing military aid to countries that restrict US humanitarian assistance, although that legislation is rarely enforced. [Continue reading…]