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- Knesset advances bill to designate UNRWA as a terrorist organization
Knesset advances bill to designate UNRWA as a terrorist organization
The bill, introduced by MK Yulia Malinovsky, passed with a 42-6 majority on Wednesday. It seeks to abolish the immunities and privileges currently enjoyed by UNRWA employees
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The Israeli Knesset has passed a preliminary reading of a bill designating the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) as a terrorist organization.
The bill, introduced by MK Yulia Malinovsky, passed with a 42-6 majority on Wednesday. It seeks to abolish the immunities and privileges currently enjoyed by UNRWA employees.
The bill, formally titled the "Bill to Abolish the Immunity and Privileges of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)," comes in response to evidence suggesting links between UNRWA employees and Hamas. If passed in the final reading, the Anti-Terrorism Law will apply to UNRWA, ending all ties between Israel and the agency and closing its assets in Israeli territory.
The abolition of privileges aims to revoke immunities established by the 1947 United Nations Privileges and Immunities Ordinance, which granted the UN and its officials exemptions from legal action, taxes, import and export bans, and other regulations. The Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister will determine the cancellation of UNRWA's diplomatic immunity.
The bill's passage is driven by substantial evidence of UNRWA's alleged involvement with Hamas. This includes the discovery of Hamas tunnels beneath UNRWA schools and collaboration between UNRWA employees and Hamas during the October 7 attacks.
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The IDF has reported finding a tunnel leading to an underground Hamas shelter beneath UNRWA's headquarters in Gaza, equipped with weapons and supplied with electricity from UNRWA facilities.
A UN inquiry has been investigating allegations against 12 UNRWA employees implicated in the October 7 massacre, resulting in the termination of 10 contracts, while two employees were confirmed dead. The UN has stated that Israel did not provide sufficient evidence for further involvement, but Israel claims full cooperation with the inquiry.
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UNRWA Commissioner Phillipe Lazzarini has condemned these allegations, calling them irrational and asserting that UNRWA should be shielded from political attacks. However, the Knesset has determined that the agency's contribution to terrorism and its educational content necessitate the revocation of its privileges.
UNRWA spokesperson Adnan Abu Hasnah responded to the bill's passage, warning that Israel's actions could lead to the rise of more extreme elements in Gaza. He defended UNRWA as the "only moderate body" in the region, claiming its schools teach democracy, human rights, and coexistence.