To:
- Mr. / Secretary-General of the United Nations
- Mr. / Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union
- Honorable Members of Parliament
- Honorable Special Rapporteurs
Geneva, 17 December 2025
Subject: Final Approval by the Israeli Knesset of the Law to Stop the Activities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
Details:
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is one of the most important international mechanisms established by the United Nations to ensure the minimum humanitarian protection and essential services for Palestinian refugees, until a fair and lasting solution to their issue is found in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions.
The Israeli Knesset has given final approval to a law that ends the activities of UNRWA and prevents it from operating within the territories under Israeli occupation, including East Jerusalem and other areas. This law raises confirmed legal and humanitarian issues and sets a dangerous precedent that affects the core of the international legal system and the principle of respecting countries’ commitments to the United Nations.
UNRWA was established by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 302 (D-4) of 1949 and operates with a renewed mandate from the General Assembly, not under a bilateral agreement with the occupying state.
UNRWA enjoys international legal personality and the immunities and privileges stipulated in the United Nations Convention on Privileges and Immunities of 1946.
The approval of the Knesset’s law to stop UNRWA’s activities violates Article (2/5) of the United Nations Charter, which obligates member states to assist the organization and not obstruct its work. It is also a serious breach of the 1946 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, its staff, and its institutions.
Israel does not have the legal authority to terminate or disrupt the work of a UN agency established by an international resolution, which constitutes an abuse of international jurisdiction.
Stopping UNRWA’s work effectively denies Palestinian refugees access to food, medicine, education, and dismantles the humanitarian protection system, which may amount to a war crime under Article 8 of the Rome Statute.
Targeting an agency that serves exclusively Palestinian refugees may constitute discrimination based on national origin, in violation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
UNRWA is not just a service agency; it is an international legal witness to the Palestinian refugee issue. Therefore, targeting it is an indirect attempt to liquidate the right of return and contradicts General Assembly Resolution 194 of 1948. It aims to impose political facts by means of domestic legislation.
Therefore, we urgently call for:
- Immediate pressure on the Israeli occupation to cancel the law and stop all executive actions related to it.
- Ensuring the legal, political, and financial protection of UNRWA and allowing it to continue its work without restrictions.
- Activating international accountability mechanisms for those responsible for enacting and implementing this law.
- Referring the effects of this law to the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.
- Strengthening international commitment to the rights of Palestinian refugees and rejecting any attempts to liquidate these rights.
International Justice Forum – Istanbul
Geneva Center for Democracy and Human Rights – Geneva
International Jurists Union – Geneva office