TÁNAISTE SIMON HARRIS has said he is “gravely concerned” about the Israeli ban on the UN’s main aid agency for Palestinians, which has come into effect today.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has been ordered to suspend operations in Israel and shutter its offices in East Jerusalem, which will place severe restrictions on its ability to operate in Israeli-occupied Palestine.

“I am gravely concerned by the entry into force of Israeli legislation on UNRWA, which will have far-reaching consequences for UNRWA’s operations in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and in Gaza,” Harris, who is also Minster for Foreign Affairs, said in a statement this morning. 

He described the ban as “a disheartening development”, especially in the context of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza. 

“We are seeing a long-overdue scaling-up of humanitarian aid entering Gaza. It is vital that the delivery of this assistance is neither hindered nor obstructed,” Harris said, adding that “All parties must comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law”. 

The Tánaiste said that UNRWA is uniquely placed to serve the needs of people in Palestine, particularly in Gaza. 

“No other UN Agency or actor has the capacity or infrastructure to replace UNRWA’s unique mandate and experience in delivering humanitarian assistance, and in delivering education, health services and relief and social services in Gaza, the West Bank and across the region,” he said. 

Harris said that Ireland continues to stand behind UNRWA and urged Israel to reconsider and suspend the implementation of the legislation. 

UNRWA was founded in 1949 following the Nakba (Catastrophe), when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forced from their homes during the Arab-Israeli war that led to the founding of the state of Israel. 

Many of those refugees make up the population of the Gaza Strip, living in refugee camps supported by the aid agency. There are also Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank and neighbouring countries. 

UNRWA’s remit involves providing education, healthcare, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance. 

It is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states but also receives some funding through the UN budget and from private donors. 

Many Western countries suspended funding for the agency after Israel accused its staff members of complicity in the 7 October 2023 attack led by Hamas.