JERUSALEM — Israeli legislation cutting ties with the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees has raised fears that Gaza’s largest aid provider could be barred from the war-ravaged territory, even as the implications of the new laws remained blurry Tuesday.

The agency known as UNRWA provides essential services to millions of Palestinians across the Middle East and has supported aid efforts in Gaza throughout the war between Israel and Hamas. Legislation banning it from operating in Israel was passed Monday by an overwhelming majority. Israel says UNRWA has allowed itself to be infiltrated by Hamas, with militants siphoning off aid and using the agency’s facilities as shields. UNRWA denies the allegations, saying it is committed to neutrality and will act quickly to address any wrongdoing by its staff.

The two recently passed laws will certainly hamper UNRWA’s work in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, as Israel controls access to both territories. But details of how the legislation would be implemented and potential solutions remain unclear. It could also face legal challenges.

Either way, the laws could have major consequences for Palestinians in Gaza, who have been heavily dependent on emergency food aid more than a year into a war that has killed dozens. thousands of people, according to local officials who do not distinguish between combatants and civilians; displaced 90% of the population of 2.3 million; and left much of the territory in ruins.

What do the laws say?

The first law prohibits UNRWA “from carrying out any mission, providing any service or carrying out any activity, directly or indirectly, in the sovereign territory of Israel,” according to a parliamentary statement.

It is unclear whether UNRWA will still be able to operate in Gaza and the West Bank, territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war but which it never formally annexed. The Palestinians want both to be part of a future state.

The second law prohibits Israeli state agencies from communicating with UNRWA and revokes an agreement dating from 1947, before Israel’s creation, under which Israel facilitated UNRWA’s work.

With Israel controlling all access to Gaza and the West Bank, it could be difficult for UNRWA personnel to enter and exit the territories through Israeli checkpoints and bring vital supplies for its schools , its health centers and its humanitarian programs.

UNRWA and its personnel would also lose their tax exemptions and legal immunities.

How would the laws affect UNRWA operations?

UNRWA’s headquarters are in East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 war and annexed in an internationally unrecognized move.

Many of the agency’s supply lines to the territories pass through Israel, and their closure could create even more obstacles to the delivery of essential aid – from flour and canned vegetables to blankets and winter mattresses – to Gaza.

Currently, all aid shipments to Gaza must be coordinated with COGAT, Israel’s military agency in charge of civil affairs, which inspects all shipments. Aid groups say their work is already hampered by Israeli delays, ongoing fighting and the breakdown of law and order in Gaza.

Aid levels plunged in the first half of October as Israel closed crossings into northern Gaza, where hunger experts say the threat of famine is most acute. COGAT attributed the decline to closures linked to Jewish holidays and troop movements linked to a large ongoing offensive in northern Gaza.

In the first 19 days of October, according to the UN, 704 aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip, compared to more than 3,018 trucks in September and August. COGAT’s own tracking dashboard shows that aid deliveries in October fell to less than a third of their September and August levels.

The new laws would also likely ban UNRWA from banking in Israel, raising questions about how it would continue to pay thousands of Palestinian employees in Gaza and the West Bank. Its international staff would probably have to move to third countries like Jordan.

What could replace UNRWA?

Rights groups say Israel is obligated under international law to provide the basic needs of people in the territories it occupies. Israel is also facing growing pressure from the Biden administration, which says it may have to reduce U.S. military support if there is not a dramatic increase in aid to Gaza.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the United States was “deeply troubled” by the legislation, which “poses risks to the millions of Palestinians who rely on UNRWA for essential services.” .

“We will discuss with the Israeli government in the coming days how they plan to implement this project” and see if there are any legal challenges, he said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement Monday that Israel is “ready to work with our international partners to ensure that Israel continues to facilitate humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza in a manner that does not threaten the security of ‘Israel’.

But many of these partners insist there is no alternative to UNRWA.

A spokesperson for the UN children’s agency, which also provides aid to Gaza, denounced the new laws in unusually strong language, saying “a new way has been found to kill children.” .

James Elder said the loss of UNRWA “would likely lead to the collapse of the humanitarian system in Gaza.” His agency, known as UNICEF, would “effectively become unable to distribute vital supplies,” such as vaccines, winter clothing, water and food to combat malnutrition.

Israeli officials are considering the possibility of handing over aid distribution to the military or private contractors, but have not yet developed a concrete plan, according to two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the issues. discussions behind closed doors.

COGAT referred all questions about the new legislation to the government.

It is not just the delivery of UNRWA aid to Gaza, where UNRWA is also the largest employer, that is at risk. UNRWA also runs schools in the occupied West Bank serving more than 330,000 children, as well as health care centers and infrastructure projects.

Amy Pope, director of the International Organization for Migration, another United Nations agency, said she would not be able to fill the void left by UNRWA, which she called “absolutely essential “.

“They provide education. They provide health care. They meet some of the most basic needs of people who have lived there for decades,” she said.