The ban of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) could severely impact humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip and lead to a collapse of health care and education systems in the West Bank, a newly published report warned Wednesday.
With a Jan. 28 implementation deadline approaching, the potential disruption threatens essential services for millions of Palestinian refugees reliant on UNRWA for education, health care, and food assistance, according to the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO).
"UNRWA provides a lifeline to some of the most vulnerable communities in the region," said Jorgen Jensehaugen, a senior PRIO researcher and co-author of the study.
He warned that the agency's collapse would cripple humanitarian operations in Gaza and destabilize healthcare and education for thousands in the West Bank.
Replacing UNRWA's mechanisms would involve "significant costs and delays," the report noted, with humanitarian experts estimating that it could take one to three years. It also warned that education programs might be replaced by fragmented, lower-quality initiatives run by multiple agencies.
"The clock is ticking, and without coordinated global action, the repercussions will be serious, most acutely affecting Gaza, but also having the potential to push the situation in the West Bank across the brink," Jensehaugen cautioned.
In October, Israel's Knesset (parliament) voted to ban UNRWA's operations in areas under Israeli occupation, alleging that some UN agency employees were involved in the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023—a charge UNRWA denies.
If implemented, the ban would result in the closure of UNRWA offices and the freezing of its financial accounts in Israel, effectively halting its operations.
Established in 1949, UNRWA has served as a critical lifeline for Palestinian refugees, supporting nearly 5.9 million people across Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.
The first phase of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza began on Jan. 19, suspending Israel's genocidal war that has killed nearly 47,200 Palestinians—mostly women and children—and injured over 111,160 since Oct. 7, 2023.
The three-phase agreement includes prisoner exchanges and aims for a permanent truce and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Israel's war on Gaza has left the besieged enclave in ruins, with half of its housing damaged or destroyed and nearly 2 million people displaced amid severe shortages of sanitation, medical supplies, food, and clean water.
In November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, citing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Separately, Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice.
