TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Qatar and Saudi Arabia on Sunday condemned an Israeli parliamentary bill that seeks to designate UNRWA, the main provider of aid to Palestinians in Gaza, as a terrorist group, joining a growing number of countries opposed to the proposal.
The bill, which passed a preliminary vote in parliament last week, is the result of increasingly tense relations between Israel and the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. Israel has accused the organization of militant links and claims that hundreds of its employees are members of militant groups, including some who allegedly took part in the October 7 attacks on southern Israel.
These accusations have led to a freeze on funding by many donors to the organization, at a time when Gaza is suffering from a humanitarian crisis caused by the war. UNRWA says it took swift action against the suspects and an independent investigation into the agency’s neutrality found that Israel had not previously raised concerns about the workers and provided no evidence to support its claims.
The bill going through parliament seeks to label the agency as a “terrorist group,” saying its employees’ alleged involvement in the Hamas attack shows that “it is a terrorist organization no different from the Hamas terrorist organization.” ” The bill also aims to sever diplomatic ties between Israel and the agency.
The bill initially passed on a 42-6 vote and must pass through committees and three other votes before becoming law.
UNRWA communications director Juliette Touma said the bill was part of Israel’s ongoing “systematic campaign” to dismantle the UN agency, which is endangering the lives of its employees. She said it is too early to predict how the bill will affect the agency.
UNRWA has operations in East Jerusalem, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza and must pass through Israeli border crossings to bring aid and supplies into Gaza.
In response to the bill, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said the attempt to designate UNRWA as a terrorist organization is “an extension of the systematic campaign aimed at dismantling the organization at a time when the need for its humanitarian services is acute is due to the ongoing war in the country. Gaza Strip.”
Saudi Arabia also condemned the move, saying that UNRWA staff are “doing their duty to alleviate the severity of the humanitarian catastrophe that the Palestinian people are experiencing.”
“The kingdom emphasizes that Israel, as an occupying state, must comply with international law and international humanitarian law and stop obstructing the work of international organizations,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said.
The European Union, which together with its member states is UNRWA’s largest donor, also condemned the move on Friday. It noted UNRWA’s “crucial and irreplaceable” role in tackling the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Belgium, a member of the EU, has issued its own condemnations.
UNRWA employs thousands of people and provides essential assistance and services to millions of people in the Middle East. In Gaza, it was the main provider of food, water and shelter to civilians during the war between Israel and Hamas.
Israel has long spoken out against the agency, accusing it of tolerating or even collaborating with Hamas and perpetuating the 76-year-old Palestinian refugee crisis. UNRWA denies the allegations and says it adheres to UN standards of neutrality. The Israeli government has accused Hamas and other militant groups of siphoning aid and using UN facilities for military purposes.
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