Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the "immediate" implementation of a ban on the controversial United Nations agency dedicated solely to Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), issued by the Jerusalem government.
The rest of the world's refugees (currently 32 million) are under the mandate of UNHCR, also a United Nations agency.
Netanyahu "has ordered that the UNRWA law, which was passed by the Knesset (parliament) with broad support, be implemented immediately," the Prime Minister's Office said on social media site X.
According to the statement, there are “no restrictions” on the implementation of Netanyahu’s order.
On January 30, Israel banned UNRWA from continuing to operate in its territory, including the eastern part of Jerusalem, annexed in 1980. However, its schools, clinics and training centres remain open relatively normally.
In addition to the ban, Parliament also introduced a 'no contact law' that prevents any government agency from cooperating with UNRWA, resulting in more than 50 foreign workers being unable to renew their visas.
In Gaza, where they employ some 7.000 workers, it is impossible for them to coordinate their movements with COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories), a unit of the Ministry of Defense responsible for civil affairs in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) and Gaza.
Israeli authorities have alleged that UNRWA employees belong to the Palestinian Islamic terrorist group Hamas, and the agency has been accused of perpetuating the refugee issue by automatically passing refugee status on to their descendants (something that does not happen with the UNHCR).
On February 4, US President Donald Trump decided to freeze funding for UNRWA, urging it to “put its affairs in order.”
Agencies contributed to this Aurora article