UN says Israeli law blocking UNRWA must be overturned

The UN human rights office has urged Israel to repeal a law restricting the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, warning of dire humanitarian consequences.

“Without UNRWA, food delivery, healthcare, education, and other services would be drastically undermined in occupied Palestinian territory, with direct and dire impacts on the human rights of tens of thousands of Palestinians,” the office said on X.

The Israeli government has officially enforced the ban on UNRWA’s activities in occupied East Jerusalem, forcing the agency to vacate its facilities.

International staff members departed after their Israeli visas expired, while local employees refrained from reporting to work.

Israel had ordered UNRWA to shut down all operations in East Jerusalem by Thursday, following a directive from Israeli envoy Danny Danon to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

In response, UNRWA evacuated its headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah, where it had operated since 1951, along with a clinic in the Old City and multiple schools.

The closure comes amid escalating tensions between Israel and international organizations, with UN bodies raising concerns over worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza and the West Bank.

UNRWA, founded in 1949, provides essential services to Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Lebanon, Jordan, and Gaza.

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