United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
Israel bans UNRWA after staffer revealed as Hamas commander
Extracts: Israel's Knesset has passed laws designating UNRWA as a terrorist organisation, cutting diplomatic ties with the agency and barring it from operating on Israeli soil
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said,
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UNRWA workers were involved in "terrorist activities" against Israel
UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini said,
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the move put "an entire generation of children at risk"
Israel's parliament has passed legislation targeting the main UN agency UNRWA providing aid to people in Gaza
The new laws designate UNRWA a terrorist organisation, 1. cutting diplomatic ties with the agency 2. and barring it from operating on Israeli soil 3. prohibit ties between Israeli officials and the agency 4. and strip its staff of their legal immunities 5. ban UNRWA from conducting "any activity" or providing any service inside Israel
The legislation, which would not take effect immediately, risks collapsing the fragile aid distribution process at a moment when the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is worsening and Israel is under increased US pressure to ramp up aid
The legislation will take effect 60 to 90 days after Israel's foreign ministry notifies the UN according to the spokesman for politician Dan Illouz, one of the co-sponsors of one of the bills
