Israeli Knesset approves bill cutting utilities to UNRWA offices

(MENAFN) On Monday, Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, passed legislation to cut electricity and water supplies to offices of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), with the law taking effect immediately. The bill passed in its second and third readings, with 59 lawmakers in favor and seven opposed out of the 120-seat legislature.

The measure follows growing Palestinian reliance on UNRWA services after two years of Israel’s war in Gaza, which ended in a ceasefire on Oct. 10. Israeli Energy and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen defended the bill, accusing UNRWA of functioning as an operational arm of Hamas and dismissing its humanitarian work for millions of Palestinian refugees. Cohen also criticized Arab Knesset members opposing the bill, calling them a “fifth column.”

This legislation comes after a 2024 Knesset law banning UNRWA activities in Israel, citing alleged involvement of some staff in the October 7, 2023, attacks—a claim denied by the UN agency. Established over 70 years ago, UNRWA provides aid and services to Palestinians displaced from their homes.

The ongoing restrictions come amid a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where Israel’s two-year war has killed more than 71,200 Palestinians, mostly women and children, injured over 171,200, and left the territory largely in ruins despite the ceasefire.

MENAFN30122025000045017640ID1110537711