Israel/Palestine: Statement by the High Representative on voting in the Israeli parliament regarding UNRWA operations

The EU expresses its grave concern over the legislation to be submitted for voting in the Israeli parliament tonight, and forbidding contact between Israeli state entities and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

If adopted, these laws will have far-reaching consequences, de facto rendering UNRWA's vital operations in Gaza impossible, seriously hampering UNRWA's provision of health, education and social services in the occupied West Bank and revoking UNRWA's diplomatic privileges and immunities in Israel.

This legislation stands in stark contradiction to international law and the fundamental humanitarian principle of humanity, and will only exacerbate an already severe humanitarian crisis, potentially halting essential services such as food, shelter, education and healthcare for millions of Palestinian refugees in these territories.

The EU emphasises that all UN agencies embody the rules-based international order as they uphold and implement both the letter and the spirit of the UN Charter, to which all UN Member States must abide.

The EU reiterates that UNRWA is the sole provider of these critical services and is essential for delivering emergency relief to millions of Palestinian refugees. UNRWA has a long history of commitment to its specific mandate as provided by the UN General Assembly in 1948, with over 40,000 staff across the region, including 13,000 in Gaza.

Along with the proposed eviction of UNRWA from its East Jerusalem premises, the bills may also entail the violation of the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and, again, Israel's obligations under international law. Millions of lives are potentially at stake and these obligations cannot be disregarded any longer.

The EU exhorts the Israeli authorities to ensure that UNRWA can continue its essential work in crisis-affected areas in line with its UN General Assembly mandate.

We urge Israeli authorities to reconsider, in order to prevent disruptions to UNRWA's life-saving services and ensure continued and unhindered humanitarian access for UNRWA to the Palestine refugees that it was set up to serve.

The EU remains committed to supporting UNRWA and its mission, while maintaining neutrality, accountability, and oversight in its partnership.