An unjust ban

Condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza has become an echo in an unfeeling void. The settler-colonial power’s recent aggression marks a grotesque chapter, spotlighting the harrowing consequences of a world that has surrendered its moral authority. Israel’s ban on the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) across its territory is yet another calculated blow, dismantling humanitarian support for Palestinians and dangerously escalating its hostile tactics. This legislative decision signals Israel’s intention to classify UNRWA as a ‘terrorist group’, cutting off any possibility of coordination with the agency that has long served Palestinian refugees. Shocked reactions from Israel’s Western allies ring hollow; these nations, after all, have facilitated Israel’s unrestrained campaign against Palestinians for years. Since October 7, we have seen Israel unleash some of the heaviest bombs on Gaza, shattering lives in a ceaseless barrage. For much of the world, the graphic footage of obliterated Palestinian homes and bodies barely elicits an official condemnation. Western leaders mask complicity with rhetoric, repeatedly diverting blame toward Hamas. Meanwhile, Israel continues to enforce brutal measures under the guise of ‘self-defence’, imposing starvation, displacement, and indiscriminate killings.

With Israel’s allies backing this unchecked aggression, a campaign to delegitimise Palestinian suffering has gained momentum. From dismissing witness accounts to labeling credible documentation as ‘Pallywood’, pro-Israel lobbyists portray the stark reality of Gaza as a hoax. The aim is to further isolate Palestinians, ensuring the world questions their experiences while watching their collective trauma unfold. The ban on UNRWA removes one of the few lifelines available to Palestinians, an attempt to corner them into absolute dependency on the occupying state. It is a terrifying glimpse into a future where a people are left entirely at the mercy of a state whose policies treat them as worse than animals, not as human beings with inherent rights. The world’s inaction has emboldened Israel, transforming Gaza into a nightmarish emblem of 21st-century apartheid. The Global South, which has experienced colonisation and exploitation firsthand, should refuse to remain silent in the face of these crimes, speaking out against Israel’s blatant disregard for human life.

This ban on UNRWA also marks an alarming precedent for the treatment of international aid organisations in conflict zones. By weaponising legislative power against a neutral humanitarian entity, Israel is attempting to delegitimise the work of those who stand up for the rights of the oppressed. This raises disturbing questions about the future of humanitarian aid: if international bodies can be vilified and barred in Gaza today, where will similar abuses take place tomorrow? Global powers must grapple with this creeping erosion of basic humanitarian protections, or else risk a dangerous trend that would leave vulnerable populations around the world even more exposed to violence and exploitation.