Israel’s decision to ban the United Nations Palestinian aid agency (UNRWA) has drawn significant criticism, with analysts suggesting that the move is part of a larger agenda to weaken the rights of Palestinian refugees and potentially expel them from the occupied territories. The ban, set to take effect in three months, threatens to worsen an already dire situation in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem.
Experts view the legislation as part of an ongoing Israeli campaign to dismantle aid structures that sustain Palestinians in these areas. Tahani Mustafa, a specialist on Israeli-Palestinian affairs with the International Crisis Group, argues that the restriction on UNRWA aligns with a broader objective to permanently displace Palestinians. “It is part of a campaign to kill any aid infrastructure,” Mustafa told Al Jazeera, emphasizing the risk this poses for Palestinian communities.
UNRWA, as the primary source of aid to Palestinian refugees, plays a critical role in Gaza, where the civilian population faces severe threats. The International Court of Justice has raised concerns about the humanitarian risk, and the potential elimination of UNRWA services in Gaza is seen by analysts as an effort by Israel to push Palestinians out. Khaled Elgindy, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, pointed out that Israel’s intensified military actions in Gaza could be making the area increasingly unlivable, encouraging Palestinians to leave.
In recent years, Israel has displaced nearly all of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents and caused an estimated 43,000 casualties, exacerbated by an Israeli blockade since 2007 that rights groups describe as creating “open-air prison” conditions. UNRWA’s services, therefore, have become an irreplaceable source of relief.
The agency’s existence serves as a stark reminder of the displacement Palestinians experienced during the Nakba and reflects the continued significance of the Palestinian right to return, which UNRWA advocates. Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to halt U.S. support for UNRWA in 2018 marked a major blow to its funding and was seen by Palestinian refugees as an attempt to undermine this right. Now, analysts warn that Israel’s move against UNRWA may signal a new phase in efforts to minimize Palestinian historical claims.
Elgindy suggests that by targeting UNRWA, Israel aims to further erase Palestinian ties to the land, positioning Israel’s formation as a state apart from the historical dispossession of the Palestinian people. As the situation develops, many fear that the absence of UNRWA will only deepen the humanitarian crisis faced by Palestinians in occupied territories.