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Indonesia condemns Israel's ban of UNRWA
Indonesia has strongly condemned the Israeli parliament's decision to ban the United Nations agency responsible for aiding Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, from working in Israel, in a new law that could effectively cripple its work in war-torn Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territory in East Jerusalem.
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A Palestinian woman walks past a damaged wall bearing the UNRWA logo on May 28, 2024, at a camp for internally displaced people in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas militant group. (AFP/Eyad Baba)
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ndonesia has strongly condemned a new law passed by the Israeli parliament that could effectively cripple the work of the United Nations agency responsible for aiding Palestinian refugees, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), in war-torn Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territory in East Jerusalem.
In a 92-to-10 vote, the Israeli parliament passed the law to ban UNRWA from operating on Israeli soil on Monday. The ban, which could essentially impact its work in Gaza and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, is due to take effect in three months.
“The decision clearly violates and contradicts the UN Charter and the 1946 Convention on the immunities of UN agencies,” the Foreign Ministry said on X on Tuesday. “Indonesia strongly condemns the decision by the Israeli parliament, Knesset.”
Jakarta, the ministry said, affirmed its support for UNRWA in discharging its mandate to “provide education, health care and aid to millions of Palestinian refugees”.
Established after the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, UNRWA provides education, health and aid services to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. It has played a pivotal role in delivering aid during Israel's ongoing military action in Gaza, which started in October of last year in response to a deadly surprise attack and hostage-taking by militant group Hamas.
Indonesia on Tuesday also urged the international community, especially the UN Security Council, “to immediately halt Israel's actions” on UNRWA and to ensure Israeli “compliance with its obligations” under international law, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and International Court of Justice rulings” that called on Israel to end its occupation of Palestine.
Read also: Indonesia decries Israel's planned designation of UN aid agency as terror group
