Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday instructed the immediate enforcement of the UNRWA law, which was passed by the Knesset with broad support.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is a relief and human development agency.

Sharing a post on X, Israel PMO said, “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed that the UNRWA law, which was passed by the Knesset with broad support, be enforced immediately.”

“There are no restrictions on the implementation of the Prime Minister’s directive,” the post added.

Notably, earlier in October 2024, the Israeli parliament, known as the Knesset, passed two laws that called for ending UNRWA’s operations in its territory and prohibiting Israeli authorities from having any contact with the agency.

Israel had ordered UNRWA to vacate all premises in occupied East Jerusalem and cease operations in them by January 30 this year.

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump signed executive orders to cut funding for the UNRWA.

According to the United Nations, UNRWA was established shortly after the creation of the United Nations itself by General Assembly resolution 302 (IV) in the wake of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war to provide “direct relief and works programmes” for registered Palestinian refugees, defined as “persons whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948 and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 war.”

For decades, the agency has provided essential humanitarian services to Palestine refugees in areas controlled by Israel, notably in Occupied Palestinian Territory, including the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. These include health facilities, schools and vocational training centres.

Following the approval of the bill in the Israeli Parliament, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, stressed the central role that UNRWA plays in the delivery of aid and said that the effective ban would have “devastating consequences.” The acting head of the UN aid coordination office, Joyce Msuya, had called the decision “dangerous and outrageous” whilst Commissioner-General of UNRWA Philippe Lazzarini had said that the bills will “increase the suffering of the Palestinians and are nothing less than collective punishment.”

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