The Muslim Council of Britain strongly condemns the Israeli Knesset’s recent vote to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) from operating within Israel. In a 92-10 vote, the Knesset barred the agency, which operates under a 1967 treaty, from providing services in Israel, including occupied East Jerusalem, Gaza, and the West Bank. Lawmakers also declared UNRWA a terror group, banning any direct interaction with Israeli state authorities.
UNRWA has been a lifeline for displaced Palestinian refugees since 1950, providing crucial humanitarian aid, education, health, and social services to millions, including those in refugee camps and the vulnerable population in Gaza, where it employs 13,000 staff.
Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA’s Commissioner-General, described the vote as “unprecedented” and warned that it sets a “dangerous precedent,” exacerbating the suffering of Palestinians, particularly in Gaza amid ongoing Israeli bombardments, which have killed over 43,000 civilians and left more than 100,000 injured, mostly women and children.
This ban is not just a restriction on aid but also an attempt to delegitimise Palestinian refugees’ status. We urge the UK government to uphold its support for UNRWA, ban all arms sales to Israel, and stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people during this critical humanitarian crisis.