From Philippe Lazzarini, the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA Commissioner-General as posted on his official X account (previously known as Twitter)?
AMMAN
¡°Yesterday¡¯s?vote?by?the?Israeli parliament passing new legislation against Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA is outrageous. It is a direct affront to the mandate granted to the Agency by the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ General Assembly and contrary to findings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which oblige Israel to fulfil its responsibilities as a Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Member State to Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA and the broader Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ system.
The legislation cuts off water, electricity, fuel, and communications from Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA and grants the government of Israel authority to expropriate Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ properties in East Jerusalem, including Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA¡¯s headquarters and its main vocational training centre.
Furthermore, the bill explicitly excludes Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA from Israeli law enacting Israel¡¯s obligations under the?Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations. This stands in clear violation of the State of Israel¡¯s obligations under international law.
This latest move extends the laws passed last year and implemented since January 2025 that banned Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA¡¯s operations in occupied East Jerusalem and halted all contact between Israeli officials and Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA.
The new legislation is a further blow to the multilateral system.?It?is part of an ongoing,?systematic campaign to?discredit?Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA?and thereby obstruct the core role that the Agency plays in providing human-development?assistance?and services to?Palestine Refugees. Services which the ICJ has ruled are essential for delivering on the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ¡¯s commitment to the rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination.
, the ICJ restated that the State of Israel is obliged under international law to facilitate Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA¡¯s operations, not hinder or prevent them. This new legislation is an unacceptable rejection of the ICJ¡¯s findings.
Israel is obliged to act within the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ framework and not take unilateral action contrary to its obligations under the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Charter. Should Israel dispute the actions of Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA, it must refer the issue to the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ¡¯s deliberative bodies and seek a decisive ruling from the ICJ. A failure to do so disrespects the procedures critical to the operation of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ system.
Despite Israel¡¯s obligations, these legislative steps have been accompanied by unilateral actions on the ground that show a repeated disregard for international law.
Earlier this month, Israeli officials stormed Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA¡¯s compound in East Jerusalem ¨C which is a Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ premises ¨C and tore down the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ flag, replacing it with an Israeli flag. And in May, they forced the closure of Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA¡¯s schools in East Jerusalem, depriving hundreds of Palestine Refugee children of their right to education.
Israel¡¯s unilateral actions are having a?direct operational?and legal?impact on Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA¡¯s services?in the occupied?Palestinian?territory,?including in Gaza, where the Agency is the backbone of the international humanitarian operation. As Gaza, the West Bank, and the wider region continue to face conflict and turmoil, Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA ¨C?more than ever?¨C?is irreplaceable.
Legislation against Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA is also a further setback to efforts?to reach?a just and lasting diplomatic?solution?to the decades¡¯ long?Israeli-Palestinian?conflict.???Pending such a solution, Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA is mandated?to provide services,?especially?health and education,?to Palestine Refugees.
The rights of Palestine Refugees exist separate to Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA, under international human rights law, international humanitarian law, and Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ General Assembly resolutions, including?, adopted in 1948, a year before Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA was created in?.?Even if Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA no longer existed, these rights would endure.
The current and earlier legislation passed by the Israeli parliament also rejects the principal obligation of Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Member States to respect the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ¡¯s independence and its privileges and immunities. It creates a grave precedent for other conflict situations where governments may wish to?eliminate?an inconvenient Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ presence.
It therefore targets not just Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA, but any individual or entity calling for compliance with international law and a peaceful political solution. Failing to push back against attempts to intimidate and undermine the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ in the occupied Palestinian territory will eventually compromise humanitarian and human rights work worldwide. ¡°
Related content:
Document Sources: United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA)
Subject: Convention: Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, Human rights and international humanitarian law, Legal issues, Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA
Publication Date: 30/12/2025
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