A broken signal on the UNRWA headquarters, following an Israeli raid, amid the battle between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza Metropolis, July 12, 2024. | Photograph credit score: Reuters
The Israeli parliament gave preliminary approval on Monday to a invoice declaring the United Nations’ major support group for the Palestinians a terrorist organisation and proposing to sever ties with the company.
The vote in opposition to the United Nations Reduction and Works Company for Palestine Refugees within the Close to East (UNRWA) is the newest step in an Israeli crackdown on the company, which Israeli leaders have accused of collaborating with the Islamist Hamas motion in Gaza.
The invoice was permitted within the first studying and can be returned to the International Affairs and Protection Committee for additional deliberation, the Knesset data service mentioned.
The invoice’s sponsor, Yulia Malinovsky, described UNRWA as a “fifth column inside Israel.”
UNRWA offers training, well being and support to tens of millions of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Financial institution, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. It has lengthy had tense relations with Israel, however these relations have deteriorated sharply because the begin of the struggle in Gaza and Israel has repeatedly referred to as for UNRWA to be disbanded.
“That is one other try in a broader marketing campaign to dismantle the company,” mentioned UNRWA spokeswoman Juliette Touma. “This kind of motion is unprecedented within the historical past of the United Nations.”
There is no such thing as a proof but
Israel has mentioned a whole lot of UNRWA workers are members of terrorist teams together with Hamas and Islamic Jihad, however has but to offer proof to a UN-appointed evaluation.
A number of donor nations suspended funding to UNRWA following the Israeli allegations, however many have since reversed the choice, together with Britain, which mentioned final week it might resume funding.
Each Hamas and the Palestinian Authority condemned the Israeli vote, and Hussein Al-Sheikh, a prime ally of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, referred to as on the worldwide neighborhood to withstand makes an attempt to dissolve the company.
