By Isolde Doubell
14/11/2024
On Monday, 4 November, the Knesset passed legislation to severely limit the operations of UNRWA (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) in Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip, withdrawing from the 1967 agreement recognising UNRWA. Israel informed the UN that “UNRWA – the organisation whose employees participated in the 7 October massacre and many of whose employees are Hamas operatives – is part of the problem in the Gaza Strip and not part of the solution,” then-Foreign Minister Israel Katz said. “The UN was presented with endless evidence about Hamas operatives working at UNRWA and about the use of UNRWA facilities for terror purposes, and nothing was done about it. Israel will continue to work with international partners, including other United Nations agencies, to ensure the facilitation of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza in a way that does not undermine Israel’s security. Israel expects the United Nations to contribute to and cooperate in this effort.” The legislation will take effect in three months’ time.
UNRWA, which now works in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan, was founded in 1949, initially caring for displaced Palestinians after the creation of the state of Israel. UNRWA grants refugee status to the descendants of those refugees in perpetuity, including those with citizenship in other countries. As a result, the number of Palestinian refugees registered with the organisation has increased from 750,000 in 1950 to nearly six million today. Philippe Lazzarini, the Swiss commissioner-general of UNRWA, has made it clear that even if the agency were dissolved, it “will not strip the Palestinians of their refugee status.”
The new legislation generated widespread international reaction, with many stakeholders criticising it as potentially catastrophic for the already dire situation in Gaza. Anne Herzberg, legal adviser to the NGO Monitor organisation, stated that at least 10 other UN agencies, alongside dozens of NGOs, are already working in Gaza and that it is untrue that UNRWA is the only agency capable of providing relief there. According to the Israeli government, UNRWA only handles 13% of Gaza’s aid. The Foreign Ministry has proposed redirecting aid to the Palestinians through the World Food Programme, a UN organisation that provides food assistance worldwide. Another option under consideration, pending American support, is channelling support through USAID, an independent American agency primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance, which has previously carried out aid activity in Gaza. According to The Times of Israel, the US has said it supports the work UNRWA does in Gaza to provide aid to the Palestinians. However, Congress is advancing legislation that would prevent relief funds from going to UNRWA, and the Biden administration has said it is looking into sending US funds to other agencies, such as the World Food Programme or UNICEF, the UN’s relief agency for children. With the change of leadership in the US, it remains to be seen how the situation will be handled.
The Church
According to the 2017 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics census, there are around 47,000 Palestinian Christians, with nearly 98% situated in the West Bank. Of the approximately 2 million inhabitants of Gaza, around 1,000 are Christians. The Gaza Baptist Church is one of three Christian churches in the Gaza Strip; the other two are the Catholic Church of the Holy Family and the Eastern Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius. The Baptist church has a ministry called Christian Mission to Gaza (CM2G) that distributes food and provides shelter in churches. Before the war, they supported an evangelical school with 245 children. On 1 November, they reported on their website: “Our leaders and our dedicated team have been able to reach over 4,000 people with both food and clean drinking water all over Gaza, including in Jabalia, which has been under siege for the last few weeks. We have been able to help 278 families who have been sheltering in and around the churches with cash to be able to get some necessities. Amid challenging circumstances, God’s provision shines through, and it is with grateful hearts that we thank each of you.”
In his book, Light Force (written with Al Janssen in 2004), Brother Andrew’s words seem fitting for the current time: “The unending conflict sickened me, but what hurt even more was knowing that my brothers and sisters were caught in the midst of the fighting. Believers in Jesus Christ lived in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. I was convinced that there was a contribution that the Christian community could make. Perhaps it was only to be a light.” As a global Christian community, we can pray that international Christian NGOs, churches, and organisations will become more involved in helping the people of Gaza during this time of great need. We can trust God that the gap left by UNRWA will be filled with the hands and feet of the Gospel, and that Christians will not only look to worldly organisations to meet the needs of the people but will also use this opportunity for His glory.
Please join us in prayer for the following:
- For godly organisations to become increasingly involved in Gaza, spreading the Gospel as they address the great physical needs there. Also, for international organisations to work with integrity and wisdom among the people of Gaza, with sufficient funding, provisions, and personnel to bring real relief.
- For the suffering people of Gaza to receive the aid provided by the international community and to encounter Christ, the only One who can heal their hearts.
- For Christians in Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel to be strengthened by the Holy Spirit and to continue being a light in their communities during these challenging times.
