The Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, approved a preliminary reading of a bill to sever ties with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and designate it as a terrorist organization.
According to the Israeli website “Israel Matzav,” the Knesset approved the preliminary reading to sever relations between Tel Aviv and the UN agency, with the first vote scheduled for next Wednesday.
The website noted that the bill is expected to receive approval from both Israeli government parties and opposition parties in the country.
UNRWA stated in a Saturday statement that “due to the ongoing military operation in Rafah, it has now become difficult to access UNRWA distribution centers and the World Food Program warehouse.”
In the statement, it explained that “the displaced people in Gaza have been forced to flee six times,” noting that “there is no security in the sector amidst ongoing shelling and shortages of vital supplies.”
It added that “nearly half of the population of Rafah and the displaced to it, or 800,000 people, are now on the roads after being forced to flee since the Israeli forces began their military operation in the area on May 6th.”
UNRWA is currently providing civil and humanitarian needs to around 6 million refugees in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and camps in neighboring Arab countries.
