Bucking global pressure, MKs overwhelmingly back legislation against UN Palestinian refugee agency over staffers' terror links; PM's office: Ready to work with world on Gaza aid

An overwhelming majority of the Knesset voted on Monday to outlaw the United Nations Relief and Works Agency aiding Palestinian refugees and their descendants, after some of its employees took an active part in the Oct. 7 attacks and holding Israelis hostage in Gaza.

In passing this law, Israel asserts its right to protect its citizens from an agency that, in practice, has bolstered those who seek Israel’s destruction. Italian voices wasted no time in reacting, with the Foreign Minister,

If the UN wants to be taken seriously as a source of aid to Palestinians, it should commit to overdue improvements in accountability and transparency in its aid organizations.

Israel’s relationship with the United Nations has historically been strained, but over the past year, tensions have reached new levels. On October 28, the Israeli parliament (the Knesset) passed a law to prohibit operations of the UN’s relief and works agency (Unrwa) – the UN body responsible for Palestinian refugees – within the territory it controls.