• The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) faces imminent closure due to Israeli legislation prohibiting its operations, affecting millions of Palestinians reliant on its services.
• This decision has drawn global condemnation, with many nations expressing concerns over the anticipated humanitarian crisis.
• UNRWA's inability to operate could jeopardize the delivery of essential services such as healthcare and education for approximately 2.5 million refugees in the region.

Israel's recent ban on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (The Guardian) represents a significant threat to the humanitarian landscape in Gaza and the West Bank. This ban, effective as of January 30, 2025, was ratified by the Israeli parliament during a turbulent period marked by ongoing hostilities and political tensions. UNRWA has long been a cornerstone of humanitarian assistance for Palestinian refugees, providing critical services including education, healthcare, and emergency aid to almost 6 million individuals across Gaza, the West Bank, and neighboring countries such as Jordan and Lebanon.

The agency was established in 1949 to address the needs of those displaced during the establishment of Israel, assisting with shelter and sustenance as they awaited a more stable political solution. In recent months, the situation in Gaza has deteriorated sharply due to the ongoing conflict, which has seen over 47,000 Palestinians reported dead and many more displaced (ABC News). UNRWA provided roughly 60% of food aid into this war-torn enclave, underscoring its indispensable role in the absorption of aid and delivery of essential services.

As Israel moves to enforce the ban, fears are mounting among Palestinians. Iman Helles, a mother displaced by the violence and currently reliant on an UNRWA-run shelter, voiced her desperation: "If the agency is banned... we won’t eat or drink.” Such sentiments echo throughout the region as countless families worry about the abrupt loss of shelter and critical healthcare services provided by UNRWA. Fatmeh Jahaleen, a refugee in East Jerusalem, expressed her distress at the possibility of losing her regular access to medication, highlighting that the absence of UNRWA would significantly impact the lives of thousands like her (The Guardian).

Despite international calls for the reversal of this ban, Israeli officials maintain that the agency is flawed and should be replaced by other organizations. However, humanitarian leaders argue that such alternatives lack the capacity and infrastructure to fulfill the expansive role UNRWA plays. “It’s about more than just aid; it’s our right to endure as a people,” remarked Abu Nael Hamouda, a long-time UNRWA beneficiary in Gaza. "UNRWA is the lung that Palestinian refugees breathe from” (Al Jazeera).

The implications of this ban extend beyond immediate humanitarian issues, sparking fears of heightened instability in a region long beset by conflict. Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA’s Commissioner-General, emphasized that closing the agency would “disrupt the vital services” essential for the well-being of millions of refugees, asserting that the ongoing humanitarian crisis cannot afford to lose its most pivotal lifeline (New York Times). With the world observing, the fate of Palestinian refugees hangs in a precarious balance, pressing the need for diplomatic intervention and humanitarian support to avert a looming disaster.

As UNRWA staff brace for a future fraught with uncertainty, international aid is essential now more than ever to reach those most afflicted. While diplomacy unfolds, the resilience of a people remains tested as they navigate the dire realities of their existence in the shadow of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.