Belgium's Foreign Affairs Ministry deplored the Israeli parliament's decision to ban the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) on Monday.
The Ministry stated in a press release that this was a violation of international law that "profoundly undermines the multilateral system and the United Nations itself." It also noted the "indispensable and irreplaceable role" played by UNRWA in alleviating the suffering of millions of Palestinian refugees.
"These laws are intended to revoke UNRWA's privileges and immunities, prohibit contact with Israeli authorities, and close its offices, significantly impacting the agency's ability to provide services to Palestinian refugees," it continued.
Belgium deeply regrets the anti-@UNRWA laws adopted today by the Israeli parliament. Read more below. pic.twitter.com/RChpTmuPNY
— 🇧🇪 Belgium MFA (@BelgiumMFA) October 28, 2024
On Monday, the Israeli parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of a bill banning the UN agency from operating within Israeli territories, East Jerusalem, Gaza, and the West Bank, despite objections from the United States and the United Nations.
The bill was approved in the Knesset by 92 votes to 10, and the ban will take effect 90 days after its adoption.
Israel, which has long been highly critical of the agency, has accused some UNRWA employees of taking part in the Hamas attack in southern Israel on 7 October 2023.
The UNRWA, which has condemned the measure, is the lead agency in humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip, which has been besieged and devastated by more than a year of war between Israel and Hamas.
'Disastrous precedent'
In response to the bill, the Belgian Foreign Ministry said that the Knesset had "deliberately chosen to reject the mandate given to UNRWA by the United Nations General Assembly," and that the law was "in direct violation of Israel's obligations under international law."
"The expulsion of a UN agency sets a disastrous precedent that profoundly undermines the multilateral system and the United Nations itself," the ministry continued, adding that the ban would have severe consequences for the millions of Palestinian refugees in the region.
"As long as there is no global, just and lasting solution to the conflict and to the status of the Palestinian refugees, UNRWA's mandate is vital. [...] We repeat our call to the Israeli Government, as an occupying power, to abide by its international obligations, leave the privileges and immunities of UNRWA untouched and live up to its responsibility to facilitate full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian assistance in all its forms as well as the provision of sorely needed basic services to the civilian population."
European governments condemn legislation
Ireland, Norway, Slovenia and Spain also "condemned" Israel's ban on UNRWA activities in a joint statement on Monday. They noted that the work of the agency is essential and irreplaceable for millions of Palestinians, particularly in the current context in Gaza.
The legislation passed on Monday by the Israeli parliament "sets a very serious precedent for the work of the United Nations," according to the four countries, which are among those that have recognised the State of Palestine.
EU’s foreign policy chief, Josef Borrel, issued also a statement urging the Israeli government to reconsider its decision “in order to prevent disruptions to UNRWA’s life-saving services and ensure continued and unhindered humanitarian access for UNRA to the Palestine refugees that it was set up to serve”. These services are more needed than ever.
As regards UNRWA’s future, a Commission spokesperson told The Brussels Times that the UN agency is also needed for reaching the two-state solution. Borrell himself has repeatedly said that it cannot be dismantled until such a solution is agreed or pending a political solution of the conflict as its current mandate says.
During the years, UNWA’s role in perpetuating the Palestinian refugee problem has been questioned. Asked if the EU would consider proposing a change of its future mandate, the “day after” the war, the Commission replied that it was up to the United Nations to decide on the mandate.
