Warning of aid disruption to millions of Palestinians

UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma told Ireland’s RTE that time is running out, as the ban is expected to take effect by the end of January following a decision by the Israeli Parliament last October.

“The clock is ticking for a possible ban on UNRWA to deliver essential services for millions of Palestine refugees,” Touma said, stressing that the UN has no plans to replace the agency in the occupied territories. "The decision must be retracted by the Israeli parliament," she continued.

Touma highlighted that such a move would be unprecedented in UN history. “It has never happened in the history of the United Nations that a member state decides to ban a UN agency, in the middle of a war, from doing its work.”

The Israeli Knesset or parliament voted last October to ban UNRWA’s operations in areas under Israeli control.

If enforced, the ban would lead to the closure of UNRWA offices and the freezing of its financial accounts in Israel, effectively halting its operations.