UK urges Israel not to ban UNWRA

NY October 28, 2024(QJ)-The UK’s UN Ambassador, Barbara Woodward, expressed concern over the Israeli Parliament’s recent consideration of legislation to ban any cooperation between the Israeli government and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which provides aid to Palestinian refugees.

Earlier in October, an Israeli parliamentary committee approved a bill preventing UNRWA from operating in Israel and ending any formal ties between the Israeli government and the agency. The bill now requires final approval from the Knesset.

In a statement posted online, Ambassador Woodward emphasized that without UNRWA, critical aid for Palestinian refugees would be severely disrupted or even impossible. She urged the Israeli government to continue permitting UNRWA to operate and provide humanitarian assistance to those in need.