‘How will we survive?’ Fears in Gaza over food aid after Israel moves to ban Unrwa

Fergal Keane
Special Correspondent, BBC News

A senior ally of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told the BBC that the government in Jerusalem will not back down decides to expel the most important UN agency dealing with Palestinian refugees.

Boaz Bismuth was a sponsor of the bill in the Israeli parliament that would ban Unrwa from operating on Israeli soil and bar Israeli officials from having any contact with the organization.

When I asked Bismuth whether Israel would give in to international pressure to withdraw the bill, he replied: “Of course not, of course not, because we believe in our bill and because it is a just and right bill.”

The US, EU and British governments have condemned the move. A U.S. State Department spokesman, Matthew Miller, said Unrwa “is playing an irreplaceable role in Gaza right now, where they are on the front lines delivering humanitarian assistance to the people who need it.

“There is no one who can replace them right now, in the middle of the crisis.”

Unrwa said the laws – which will come into effect within three months – will cause the supply chain of aid to Gaza to “fall apart.”

Israel has accused Unrwa of being infiltrated by Hamas and some of its members of participating in the October 7 attacks on Israel.

Bismuth said Israel would improve services for Palestinian refugees once Unrwa was removed.

“You don’t need terrorism to control Gaza,” he said. “You don’t need terrorism to control humanitarian aid. It’s time you really want stability, if you really want security, if you really want peace in the Middle East. First and foremost, let’s get rid of the bad ones. .”