Widespread condemnation of the Knesset’s approval in the first reading of declaring UNRWA a terrorist organization

The Israeli Knesset approved in the first reading on Monday evening three bills declaring the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) a "terrorist organization," banning its work in Israel and stripping its employees of their immunity. The declaration was widely condemned by Arabs and Palestinians.

The first bill, which would bar the agency from operating in Israeli territory, passed by a majority of 58 votes (out of 120 in the Knesset) to 9 votes, according to the Hebrew newspaper "The Times of Israel". The second resolution, which aims to strip UNRWA employees of the legal immunities and privileges granted to UN employees in Israel, was approved by a majority of 63 votes to 9 votes. The third resolution, which designated UNRWA a terrorist organization and called on Israel to sever ties with it, was passed by a majority of 50 votes to 10 votes.

While the three bills will be returned to the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee to prepare for the second and third readings required for the legislation to become law, these bills have met with widespread opposition and condemnation in the Palestinian and Arab arenas. Palestinian institutions considered them “disdain” for the international community and its international organizations, calling for a response by supporting the organization “politically and financially.”

Secretary-General of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Hussein al-Sheikh, said on the X platform: “The Israeli Knesset’s decision to classify UNRWA as a terrorist organization is an Israeli disregard for the international community and its international organizations,” stressing that “the Israeli occupation is the most heinous form of terrorism practiced daily against the Palestinian people.”

In turn, the head of the Palestinian National Council, Rawhi Fattouh, said that the Knesset decision is "a dangerous decision with political dimensions, and a dangerous move in the context of eliminating the Palestinian refugee issue." In a statement, he called for holding Israel accountable, demanding "isolating the racist entity, punishing it, and expelling it from all international institutions, civil society, and sports, to force it to submit to the international will, withdraw from the occupied territories, and stop the war of extermination and ethnic cleansing."

The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) confirmed its rejection of the Knesset’s classification of UNRWA as a terrorist organization, and considered this measure invalid, illegal, and issued by an occupying authority that seeks to end the Palestinian cause, foremost among which is the issue of refugees and their right to return to their homes. The movement stressed in a press statement on Monday that the international community, and the United Nations in particular, “are required to take firm positions against this rogue Zionist entity that does not stop disdaining the international system and violating all international laws and norms,” while the Islamic Jihad movement considered that “the Knesset’s approval of the classification of UNRWA as a terrorist organization heralds a war of starvation against Palestinian refugees.”

For its part, the PLO's Department of Refugee Affairs condemned the Knesset's latest move, saying it aims "to undermine UNRWA, prevent it from operating, and link it to terrorism as a pretext to lift its immunities, leading to the liquidation of its presence in Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank." The head of the department, Ahmed Abu Holi, said in a statement: "The Israeli decision defies the world," calling on the international community to "say a decisive word regarding this Israeli encroachment on the United Nations system."

In this context, the Fatah movement condemned this step, considering it a "blatant challenge to international law and an attempt to liquidate the historical rights of the people." In a statement, it called on the international community to "take a decisive stance regarding the decisions of the occupation regime, and oblige it to comply with international law and the decisions and agreements emanating from it."

In the Arab world, Jordan condemned the Israeli Knesset’s decision on Monday, saying: “This represents a violation of international law and Israel’s obligations as an occupying power.” The Jordanian Foreign Ministry said in a statement: “This decision is an attempt to kill the agency and assassinate it politically, and target its symbolism that affirms the right of Palestinian refugees to return and compensation in accordance with international law.”