Israel Passes Two Laws to Restrict Work of a UN Agency That is a Lifeline for Gaza

Jerusalem: Israeli lawmakers passed two laws on Monday that could threaten work of main UN agency providing aid to people in Gaza by barring it from operating on Israeli soil, severing ties with it and labeling it a terror organisation. laws, which do not immediately take effect, signal a new low for a long-troubled relationship between Israel and UN Israel’s international allies said y were deeply worried about ir potential impact on Palestinians as Gaza war’s humanitarian toll worsens.

Under first law, UN agency for Palestinian refugees, or UNRWA, would be banned from conducting “any activity” or providing any service inside Israel. second law would sever Israel's diplomatic ties with agency.

laws risk collapsing alrey fragile process for distributing aid in Gaza at a moment when Israel is under increased U.S. pressure to ramp up aid. UNRWA’s chief called m “a dangerous precedent.”

Israel has alleged that some of UNRWA’s thousands of staff members participated in Hamas attacks last year that sparked war in Gaza. It also has said hundreds of UNRWA staff have militant ties and that it has found Hamas military assets in or under agency’s facilities.

agency fired nine employees after an investigation but denied it knowingly aids armed groups and said it acts quickly to purge any suspected militants from its ranks. Some of Israel’s allegations prompted major international donors to cut funding to agency, although some of it has been restored.

Israel has at times during war raided or attacked UNRWA schools or or facilities, saying militants were operating re. UNRWA says more than 200 of its employees have been killed during war.

“ law that we passed now is not just anor bill. It is a call for justice and a wake up call,” said lawmaker Boaz Bismuth, who co-sponsored one of bills. “UNRWA is not an aid agency for refugees. It is an aid agency for Hamas.”

he of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, said new laws were part of an “ongoing campaign to discredit UNRWA.”

"se bills will only deepen suffering of Palestinians, especially in Gaza,” he said on social platform X.

first vote passed 92-10 and followed a fiery debate between supporters of law and its opponents, mostly members of Arab parliamentary parties. second law was approved 87-9.

An English language account on X for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was rey to work with international partners to ensure it “continues to facilitate humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.” post did not say how, and it was not clear how flow of aid would be affected once se bills take effect.

Toger, laws would effectively sever ties with UN agency, strip it of legal immunities and restrict its ability to support Palestinians in east Jerusalem and West Bank. legislation does not provide for alternative organizations to oversee its work.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said UNRWA would be prevented from doing U.N. General Assembly-mandated work if laws are implemented. “re is no alternative to UNRWA,” he said in a statement issued Monday night.

Guterres called on Israel “to act consistently with its obligations” under U.N. Charter and international law, as well as privileges and immunities of United Nations. “National legislation cannot alter those obligations,” Guterres stressed in a statement.

International allies of Israel’s have opposed moves

changes could be a serious blow to Palestinians in Gaza. More than 1.9 million Palestinians are displaced from ir homes, and Gaza faces widespre shortages of food, water and medicine.

International aid groups and a handful of Israel’s Western allies, including U.S., have voiced strong opposition.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matw Miller, speaking to reporters in Washington before votes, said ministration was “deeply concerned” by legislation. “re’s nobody that can replace m right now in middle of crisis,” he said.

UNRWA provides education, health care and or basic services to millions of Palestinian refugees across region, including in Israeli-occupied West Bank.

laws would go into effect 60 to 90 days after Israel’s Foreign Ministry notifies U.N., according to spokesperson of lawmaker Dan Illouz, one of co-sponsors of one of laws.

Death toll in Gaza surpasses 43,000 as Israeli raids continue

death toll from more than a year of fighting has passed 43,000, officials in Gaza reported Monday. Palestinian Health Ministry’s count does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but says more than half of de are women and children.

rising death toll comes as Israel refocuses its offensive on Gaza’s hard-hit north, including on a hospital from where military says militants were operating.

Israeli forces raided Kamal wan Hospital on Friday. An Israeli military official, speaking Monday on condition of anonymity in keeping with regulations, said re was heavy fighting around hospital, though not inside it, and that weapons were found inside facility. military said Monday raid h ended.

Israel has raided several hospitals in Gaza over course of yearlong war, saying Hamas and or militants use m for military purposes. Palestinian medical officials deny those allegations and accuse military of recklessly endangering civilians.

Israeli military said it detained 100 suspected Hamas militants in latest raid. Israeli official said medical staff were detained and searched because some of militants h disguised mselves as medics.

World Health Organization accused Israel of detaining 44 male hospital staff. It was not immediately clear why re was a discrepancy in figures. Palestinian medical officials said hospital, which was treating some 200 patients, was heavily damaged in raid.

Israeli military has called on Palestinians to evacuate norrn Gaza, where it has been waging a large offensive for more than three weeks. official said operation in norrn Gaza city of Jabaliya would last “several more weeks.”

U.N. said earlier this month at least 400,000 people are in norrn Gaza, an area that was an early target of Israel’s retaliatory war. Hunger re is rampant as amount of humanitarian aid reaching north has plummeted over past month.

Israel-Hamas war began after militants from Hamas and or groups stormed into Israel, killing some 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and abducting 250 ors. war has roiled Middle East, setting off fighting between Israel and Hezbollah as well as between Israel and Iran, archenemies who h long kept ir conflict a show war but are now engaging in open fighting.

International mediators renew efforts for a Gaza cease-fire

After collapsing in late summer, international mediators were trying to jump-start cease-fire efforts between Israel and Hamas. Israel said it would continue discussions on a halt in fighting after he of Moss agency, David Barnea, returned from a meeting in Qatar with he of CIA, David Burns, and Qatari prime minister.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi has suggested a two-day cease-fire in exchange for release of four hostages. Israel appeared responsive to idea.

One Israeli official said Israel was discussing proposal both internally and with Egyptian officials. A second official said Netanyahu expressed enthusiasm for proposal in a meeting with his Likud party on Monday.

Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because y were not authorized to discuss internal deliberations.

Hamas has yet to formally respond to plan and Hamas officials were not reachable for comment on Monday.