Why has Israel banned a UN agency that distributes aid to Gaza?
New laws passed by the Israeli government have put one of the main sources of delivering aid to people in Gaza under threat, as ITV News' Ian Woods reports
Israel's parliament has passed two laws that could prevent the UN agency for Palestinian refugees from being able to provide aid to people in Gaza.
The laws, which would come into effect in 90 days, would ban the UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) from operating in Israel. They would also designate it as a terror organisation and cut all ties between the agency and the Israeli government.
The vote comes amid a worsening relationship between Israel and the agency, with Israel accusing it of being infiltrated by Hamas.
There have been widespread shortages of food, water and medicine in Gaza, with more than 1.9 million Palestinians displaced from their homes.
What is UNRWA?
UNRWA provides services such as healthcare and education to millions of refugees from Palestine, including in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The agency has worked in eight Gaza refugee camps and 19 camps in the West Bank. According to UNRWA's website, it also offers mental health care, social services, financial loans and emergency assistance.
In Gaza, the agency has also worked to build infrastructure such as schools and shelters.
Why has Israel's parliament decided to ban it?
Israel has alleged that some of UNRWA’s thousands of staff members participated in the October 7 attacks last year.
Boaz Bismuth, member of the Israeli Knesset, said: “The law that we passed now is not just another bill. It is a call for justice and a wake-up call.
“UNRWA is not an aid agency for refugees. It is an aid agency for Hamas.”
It also has said hundreds of UNRWA staff have militant ties and that it has found Hamas military assets near or under the agency’s facilities.
A statement released on X on behalf of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has since said Israel would ensure humanitarian aid reaches civilians in Gaza, but did not specify how this would happen once the laws come into effect.
Is UNWRA connected to Hamas?
UNRWA said it has fired nine employees after an investigation, but denies it knowingly aids armed groups and says it acts quickly to purge any suspected militants from its ranks.
Since October 7, Israel has raided and attacked sites run by UNRWA, such as schools, claiming militants were operating there. The agency has claimed more than 200 of its employees have been killed during the conflict.
How has the agency - and the world - responded?
The head of the agency, Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini, called the passing of the new laws “unprecedented”.
In a post on X on Monday, he said the bills “will only deepen the suffering Palestinians, especially in Gaza where people have been going through more than a year of sheer hell.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he is "gravely concerned" about the passing of these bills and has called for an immediate ceasefire.
Posting on X, he said: "The UNRWA bills passed by Israel’s Knesset are gravely concerning.
"This risks jeopardising the international humanitarian response in Gaza.
"We need to see an immediate ceasefire and the release of hostages. Israel must ensure sufficient aid reaches civilians in Gaza."
Speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Foreign Office minister Anneliese Dodds said there will be "very severe consequences" if the UNRWA's work is obstructed.
She said the government will use "every lever" they have to pressure Israel into reversing the decision.
She would not confirm if the UK will be implementing sanctions against Israeli ministers, but said the Government will keep policies under review.
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UN General Secretary Antonio Guterres said these laws would have "devastating consequences" and called on Israel to to act with its "obligations under the Charter of the UN and international law."
At a press briefing, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller also urged Israel to pause the implementation of this legislation.
Miller said the "passage of this legislation could have implications under US law and US policy", and said they will consider next steps depending on what happens over the coming days.
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