The decision to all but ban the UN Relief and Works Agency, or UNRWA, comes despite renewed calls by Israel’s European allies as well Canada, Australia and Japan not to press ahead with the legislation.

The Biden administration also has pushed Israel to increase aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip, saying a US law may require reducing the flow of American weapons to Israel unless the situation improves.

The Israeli bill, which became final after being approved in second and third readings by the Knesset, bans the agency’s activities within Israel’s territories. While this technically doesn’t include Gaza and the West Bank, the organisation would be greatly affected as its day-to-day operations and logistics require co-ordination with Israel and the use of Israeli-controlled land and crossing points.

“The proposal prohibits UNRWA from operating any representation, providing any services or conducting any activities, directly or indirectly, within Israel’s sovereign territory,” according to a Knesset statement. The law takes effect after 90 days.

UNRWA, with well-established warehouses, vehicles and labour force, has actively led the distribution of aid to more than 90 per cent of Gaza’s population who have been displaced by war into southern Gaza. Israel banned the organisation from operating in northern Gaza, where some 200,000 to 300,000 Palestinians remain amid hardship.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong, in a post on X, wrote that Australia opposes the decision to severely restrict UNRWA’s operation.

Wong reshared the joint statement, published over the weekend, from Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom, calling on Israel not to pass the legislation.

Part of the statement read: “It is crucial that UNRWA and other UN organisations and agencies be fully able to deliver humanitarian aid and their assistance to those who need it most, fulfilling their mandates effectively.

“We urge the Israeli government to abide by its international obligations, keep the reserve 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.”

Humanitarian groups Oxfam, ActionAid and the Australian Council for International Development condemned Israel’s move.

Vaccinating Gazans against a polio outbreak would be almost impossible without UNRWA’s help, ACFID’s Naomi Brooks said.

“This bill undermines the international humanitarian operation in Gaza, where millions face dehydration, starvation and disease,” she said.

The UN’s acting humanitarian chief, Joyce Msuya, said in a statement on Saturday “that the entire population of northern Gaza is at risk of dying” and criticised Israeli forces for “blatant disregard for basic humanity”, citing attacks on hospitals, health workers and first responders.

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Longstanding tensions between Israel and UNRWA climaxed after hundreds of militants from Iran-backed Hamas raided southern Israel on October 7 last year, killing about 1200 Israelis and taking 250 hostages.

More than 43,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s subsequent military campaign, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between combatants and civilian casualties.

Israel said that at least 12 UNRWA employees participated directly in last year’s cross-border attack, which set off the ongoing Gaza war. Hamas is designated a terrorist organisation by the US and other nations.

Initially denying the Israeli allegations, UNRWA said in March that Israel tried to coerce some agency personnel, detained by the military during the ground operations in Gaza alongside thousands of residents, into saying they had ties to Hamas and took part in the October 7 attacks.

However, in August, the agency said nine employees may have been involved in the attacks and were going to be fired.

Israel’s government said it would continue its discussion with international mediators about a potential ceasefire deal in its war with Hamas, as the head of the Mossad spy agency returned from Qatar on Monday after taking part in the latest round of in-person talks.

David Barnea met the head of the CIA, Bill Burns, and Qatar’s prime minister in Doha, Israel’s prime minister’s office said in a statement.

“In coming days, discussions between the mediators and with Hamas will continue to examine the feasibility of talks and the continuation of attempts to advance a deal,” the statement said.

Washington and Qatar have been key mediators in the stalled negotiations between Israel and Hamas. The new round of talks was announced by the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week.

Bloomberg, AAP, AP

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