UN Says Israel Will Have to Meet Civilian Needs in Gaza Under UNRWA Ban

The United Nations stated that Israel is obligated under international humanitarian law to ensure that the needs of the Gaza population are met.

A truck, marked with U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) logo, crosses into Egypt from Gaza during a temporary truce between Hamas and Israel, in Rafah, Egypt, on Nov. 27, 2023. Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters

The United Nations stated on Oct. 29 that Israel’s government must step in to meet the needs of Gazan civilians if it implements a ban on the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), as “there is no alternative” to the agency.

U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric made the remarks after Israel’s Parliament, the Knesset, voted on Oct. 28 to approve two laws banning UNRWA from operating on Israeli soil and severing all dealings with it.