Israel’s parliament on Tuesday approved the bill banning the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees from working in Israel, despite objections from the United States.
The ban on the UN agency — which has provided essential aid and assistance across Palestinian territories and to Palestinian refugees elsewhere for more than seven decades — is a blow to humanitarian work in Gaza.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has hit out at the Israeli parliament’s decision to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency from operating in the nation.
Wong’s comments came after Australia issued a joint statement on Sunday, alongside foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea and the UK, urging Israel not to go through with the UNRWA ban.
“UNRWA does life-saving work. Australia opposes the Israeli Knesset’s decision to severely restrict UNRWA’s work,” Wong said on social media.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/unrwa-ban-wong-opposes-israels-decision-to-restrict-un-agencys-life-saving-work/nypkbjqgi
Dave
