Washington DC - A group of senators on Thursday introduced legislation to restore US funding to UNRWA, a critical UN humanitarian relief agency for Palestinian refugees, amid Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Senator Peter Welch, together with Senators Bernie Sanders, Chris Van Hollen, Amy Klobuchar, and Mazie Hirono, introduced the UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act to repeal funding prohibitions on UNRWA in congressional appropriations bills. The legislation also calls on the State Department to rescind its funding suspension on UNRWA.

The UN agency – essential to Gaza relief efforts – has faced severe obstacles since the US government decided to cut off additional funding last January following unverified Israeli government claims that a handful of its employees participated in the October 7 Hamas attack.

Israel's parliament last month passed legislation banning UNRWA, sparking a global outcry amid rapidly deteriorating conditions in Gaza.

Daily Horoscope Today's horoscope: Free daily horoscope for Wednesday, November 20, 2024

"Since day one of this conflict, UNRWA has proven to be the backbone of the humanitarian response in Gaza," Welch said in a press release. "It is unacceptable that this entire organization – and the civilian population of Gaza and the West Bank – should pay such a devastating price for the acts of a few individuals."

"Congress must pass this legislation to ensure UNRWA can safely deliver humanitarian assistance to starving women, children, and families desperate for food, medicine, and shelter," the Vermont Democrat added.

Welch's move followed a failed Senate vote this week to limit certain US offensive weapons transfers to Israel. It came on the same day that the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

The Senate bill mirrors House legislation (HR 9649) introduced by Representative André Carson in September.

As the US continues to fund Israel's atrocities and block diplomatic peace efforts, the Palestinian people are facing extreme conditions of deprivation and extermination experts warn will have devastating long-term impacts.

Joke of the Day Joke of the Night for November 21, 2024: The best jokes to laugh the day away

"The humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and now Lebanon, is human-made – and it can be stopped if concerned humans and governments intervene," said Mara Kronenfeld, executive director of the UNRWA USA National Committee.

"The Israeli government’s October vote to ban UNRWA as soon as January severs the primary humanitarian artery keeping people alive in Gaza and will deny precious generations of young people the education and medical care they need to survive into adulthood."

Kronenfeld added: "For decades, the United States government was UNRWA’s largest and most reliable funder. Abandoning this legacy now not only defies the will of the American people but also jeopardizes an irreplaceable UN-mandated agency and nearly 6 million lives."

More than 75 organizations have endorsed the UNRWA funding restoration bill, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and more.