Lawmakers also voted to declare UN relief agency a terror group, banning any direct interaction with Israeli state

Israel’s parliament has voted to ban the United Nations relief and works agency (Unrwa) from the country within 90 days, in defiance of US and other international pressure to maintain the largest provider of humanitarian assistance to the country’s Palestinian population.

In a 92-10 vote late on Monday, the Knesset banned the agency, which operates in Israel according to a 1967 treaty, from conducting “any activity” or providing any service inside Israel, including the areas of annexed east Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank.

Israeli lawmakers also voted to declare Unrwa a terror group, effectively banning any direct interaction between the UN agency and the Israeli state.

Taken together, the legislation – which will not come into effect immediately – is expected to lead to the closure of Unrwa’s east Jerusalem headquarters and would effectively block the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza via Rafah. The severing of diplomatic relations would preclude Israel from issuing entry and work permits to foreign Unrwa staff and prevent coordination with the Israeli military to permit aid shipments.

More than 1.9 million Palestinians are displaced and the Gaza strip faces widespread shortages of food, water and medicine.

There’s also an ‘Explainer’ article for more background: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/28/what-is-unrwa-and-why-has-israels-parliament-voted-to-ban-it

      • southsamurai@sh.itjust.works
        6·
        2 days ago

        Yeah, but trying to cut ties with un humanitarian services is going to erode their already shaky position with purported allies. No treaty or alliance can survive everything. At some point, the risk/reward analysis is going to turn against them, and even their allies that rely on them to be a force projection in the region are going to start abandoning them.

        Are they thinking that if they keep this shit up that they’ll get attacked full on and their tenuous alliances are going to jump into a world war for them?

        It’s such shitty long term thinking. Yeah, maybe they take Palestine fully before they lose backing, but what would they be left with? It wouldn’t gain them anything worth having long term, and could cost them so much if it goes wrong.

        • thesporkeffect@lemmy.world
          5·
          2 days ago

          I believe their thinking is - they are tired of dealing with the escalation they provoked and aren’t going to get another chance to fully genocide the Palestinians if they don’t strike now. They have nukes and once they can settle the rest of the occupied territory it’ll be a fait accompli - they can de-escalate and re-establish international diplomacy at that point.

          I don’t think it’ll work out that way.

        • guismo@aussie.zoneEnglish
          1·
          2 days ago

          is going to erode their already shaky position with purported allies.

          As if… their history is full of stuff worse than this and nothing ever happened to them. Whatever chain they have in the ones they command is unbreakable. I think anything sort of nuking Palestine wouldn’t affect them.

          They can literally bomb their allies if they don’t do what they want with no consequences. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_David_Hotel_bombing

    • sik0fewl@lemmy.ca
      1·
      2 days ago

      Well, they’re not purging Palestinians from Palestine so that they come to Israel, if that’s what you’re thinking.

  • Jure Repinc@lemmy.mlEnglish
    10·
    2 days ago

    It’s way past time that UN bans Israel from their institutions and puts heavy sanctions on them for their genocide and other crimes against humanity.