Khaberni - The Foreign Affairs and Security Committee of the Israeli Knesset, on Tuesday, approved the referral of a bill to cut off water and electricity to the offices of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees "UNRWA" for voting, as part of a systematic campaign to restrict the agency and limit its role.
Last week, Israeli police forcibly stormed the UNRWA main headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem, seizing what was inside, according to statements from officials of the UN agency.
The Israeli newspaper "Maariv" stated: "The Foreign Affairs and Security Committee in the Knesset (parliament) today approved the referral of the bill for voting in the second and third readings, with the explicit aim of stopping the activities of UNRWA, and clarifying that providing electricity and water services to properties registered under the agency's name will also be considered prohibited actions under the law."
In November 2023, the Knesset approved with a majority of 28 members out of 120 and opposition from 8 members in the first reading, the bill, and after voting, it was referred to the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee for preparation for voting in the second and third readings.
The bill requires voting in three readings to become effective law.
On his side, Energy Minister Eli Cohen, on Tuesday, in a post on the American "X" platform, said: "We are turning the lights off on UNRWA."
He added: "Today, the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee approved my special bill to cut off electricity and water to UNRWA offices," without more details about the project.
He added: "It (the bill) will be presented for the second and third reading next week."
The Israeli campaign comes while the Palestinians' need for UNRWA is growing, under the impact of a genocide war launched by Tel Aviv with American support on the Gaza Strip for two years, from October 8, 2023, until the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect on October 10 of last year.
Earlier on Tuesday, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said during an international event that over the past two years, more than 380 agency employees in Gaza had been killed, and more than 300 facilities had been damaged or destroyed, in addition to Israel expelling many of UNRWA's international staff from the occupied Palestinian territories.
In October 2024, the Knesset finally approved a ban on UNRWA's activities in Israel, alleging that some of its staff were involved in the events of October 7, 2023.
With American support, Israel launched a genocide war in Gaza on October 8, 2023, which lasted two years, and resulted in more than 70,000 Palestinian deaths and about 171,000 injuries, most of them children and women.
Despite the ceasefire on October 10 of last year, the living conditions of the Palestinians in Gaza have not improved due to the strict restrictions imposed by Israel on the entry of aid trucks, thus violating the humanitarian protocol of the agreement.
