European Union joins criticism of Israel's attempts to ban UN relief agency
The European Union joined the United Nations, the United States and others in criticizing Israel for attempting to ban the UN agency for Palestinian refugees from operating in Israel and East Jerusalem.
A bill calling for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to be banned from operating in Israel and for Israel to stop cooperating with the agency is making its way through the Knesset, the Israeli parliament.
The EU said the bill would prevent “all UNRWA’s operations in Israel and East Jerusalem, destroy UNRWA’s life-saving operations in Gaza, seriously hamper provision of health, education and social services in the West Bank, and revoke UNRWA’s diplomatic privileges and immunities.”
Remember: Israel has been trying to dismantle the agency for months after it accused 12 UNRWA staffers of being involved in the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks.
The allegations initially prompted 16 countries to suspend their funding of the agency. However, most have since reinstated their funding.
A UN investigation found that nine UNRWA employees “may have” been involved in the October 7 attacks and no longer work at the agency. UNRWA has 14,000 staff members in Gaza.
The agency was already forced to close its East Jerusalem headquarters after the compound became the target of attacks by Israeli protesters. Earlier this week, Israeli media reported a decision by the Israeli Land Authority to confiscate the land and turn it into a housing complex
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