The Knesset, Israel's parliament, has approved in the first reading three bills aimed at shutting down the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in the country and designating it as a terrorist organization, as reported by The Times of Israel, according to Report.
The first bill, which prohibits UNRWA from operating within the Jewish state, passed with 58 votes in favor and 9 against. The second bill, aimed at stripping UNRWA staff of the immunities and privileges granted to UN employees in Israel, received support from 63 lawmakers, with 9 voting against. The third bill, which would declare UNRWA a terrorist organization in Israel and sever all ties with it, garnered the backing of 50 parliamentarians, with 10 opposed.
All three bills have been referred to the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee for preparation for the second and third readings.
In late January, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the international community to end UNRWA's mission, claiming that the radical Palestinian group Hamas had infiltrated the agency's ranks. A month later, the prime minister published a program indicating that the state would seek to close the mission. Israel has urged the replacement of UNRWA in the Gaza Strip with other international humanitarian organizations.