The move against UNRWA, which serves millions of Palestinian refugees, escalates a long-standing dispute and threatens critical humanitarian services.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has condemned a new Israeli law authorizing the cutting of electricity and water to facilities of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). A UN spokesperson warned the measure would “further impede” the agency’s vital operations across the Middle East.
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the secretary-general, asserted that UNRWA’s property and assets are protected under international conventions, stating, “The Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations remains applicable to UNRWA… Property used by UNRWA is inviolable.” He emphasized UNRWA is an “integral” part of the UN system.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini echoed the condemnation, describing the law as part of a “systematic campaign to discredit UNRWA and thereby obstruct” its humanitarian mission. The agency provides education, healthcare, and aid to millions of Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.
This escalation follows a 2024 Israeli law that banned UNRWA from operating within Israel, confining its activities to East Jerusalem—an area the UN considers occupied territory. Relations, historically tense, have deteriorated sharply since the onset of the war in Gaza, with Israel repeatedly calling for UNRWA’s dissolution.
The action against UNRWA coincides with Israel’s suspension of dozens of international NGOs operating in Gaza for non-compliance with new vetting rules. In a joint statement, ten nations—including Canada, France, Japan, and the United Kingdom—warned that halting NGO operations would severely impact essential services, potentially shuttering one in three healthcare facilities in Gaza.
