Consequences of the Israeli UNRWA Ban

From 28 January 2025 Israel will implement two anti-UNRWA laws, effectively banning the Agency. This will have dire consequences for UNRWA and the Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). The exact effects are difficult to predict. They will vary across the fields of operations and the sectors UNRWA operates in. The strictest application will be in East-Jerusalem, where UNRWA will be completely banned, whilst the direst consequences will be in Gaza, where UNRWA’s humanitarian operations will be hamstrung as international staff will be withdrawn, deconfliction will be impossible and imports labelled UNRWA will be banned. This will have serious humanitarian implications even as the ceasefire allows for more humanitarian aid, since UNRWA is the ‘backbone’ of Gaza’s humanitarian operation.