UNRWA Commissioner-General on New Anti‑UNRWA Legislation Passed by the Israeli Parliament

From Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA Commissioner-General as posted on his official X account (previously known as Twitter)

AMMAN

"Yesterday's vote by the Israeli parliament passing new legislation against UNRWA is outrageous. It is a direct affront to the mandate granted to the Agency by the UN General Assembly and contrary to findings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which oblige Israel to fulfil its responsibilities as a UN Member State to UNRWA and the broader UN system.

The legislation cuts off water, electricity, fuel, and communications from UNRWA and grants the government of Israel authority to expropriate UN properties in East Jerusalem, including UNRWA's headquarters and its main vocational training centre.

Furthermore, the bill explicitly excludes UNRWA from Israeli law enacting Israel's obligations under the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations. This stands in clear violation of the State of Israel's obligations under international law.

This latest move extends the laws passed last year and implemented since January 2025 that banned UNRWA's operations in occupied East Jerusalem and halted all contact between Israeli officials and UNRWA.

The new legislation is a further blow to the multilateral system. It is part of an ongoing, systematic campaign to discredit UNRWA and thereby obstruct the core role that the Agency plays in providing human-development assistance and services to Palestine Refugees. Services which the ICJ has ruled are essential for delivering on the UN's commitment to the rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination.

In October, the ICJ restated that the State of Israel is obliged under international law to facilitate UNRWA's operations, not hinder or prevent them. This new legislation is an unacceptable rejection of the ICJ's findings.

Israel is obliged to act within the UN framework and not take unilateral action contrary to its obligations under the UN Charter. Should Israel dispute the actions of UNRWA, it must refer the issue to the UN's deliberative bodies and seek a decisive ruling from the ICJ. A failure to do so disrespects the procedures critical to the operation of the UN system.

Despite Israel's obligations, these legislative steps have been accompanied by unilateral actions on the ground that show a repeated disregard for international law.

Earlier this month, Israeli officials stormed UNRWA's compound in East Jerusalem - which is a UN premises - and tore down the UN flag, replacing it with an Israeli flag. And in May, they forced the closure of UNRWA's schools in East Jerusalem, depriving hundreds of Palestine Refugee children of their right to education.

Israel's unilateral actions are having a direct operational and legal impact on UNRWA's services in the occupied Palestinian territory, including in Gaza, where the Agency is the backbone of the international humanitarian operation. As Gaza, the West Bank, and the wider region continue to face conflict and turmoil, UNRWA - more than ever - is irreplaceable.

Legislation against UNRWA is also a further setback to efforts to reach a just and lasting diplomatic solution to the decades' long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Pending such a solution, UNRWA is mandated to provide services, especially health and education, to Palestine Refugees.

The rights of Palestine Refugees exist separate to UNRWA, under international human rights law, international humanitarian law, and UN General Assembly resolutions, including Resolution 194, adopted in 1948, a year before UNRWA was created in Resolution 302. Even if UNRWA no longer existed, these rights would endure.

The current and earlier legislation passed by the Israeli parliament also rejects the principal obligation of UN Member States to respect the UN's independence and its privileges and immunities. It creates a grave precedent for other conflict situations where governments may wish to eliminate an inconvenient UN presence.

It therefore targets not just UNRWA, but any individual or entity calling for compliance with international law and a peaceful political solution. Failing to push back against attempts to intimidate and undermine the UN in the occupied Palestinian territory will eventually compromise humanitarian and human rights work worldwide. "

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