Israel cancels deal with UN agency assisting Palestinian refugees
West Jerusalem has severed its relationship with a UN relief agency, citing allegations of connections to militant organizations. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
West Jerusalem has accused the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) of having connections to Hamas and other militant groups.
Israel has formally informed the UN about its decision to terminate a 1967 agreement with UNRWA. Recently, the Israeli parliament enacted legislation that prohibits the agency from operating within the country.
UNRWA was established in 1949 to assist Palestinian refugees following the founding of the state of Israel and the ensuing Arab-Israeli war. In 1967, after the Six-Day War, Israel requested the continuation of UNRWA's operations in Gaza and the West Bank, which the agency agreed to.
On Monday, Foreign Minister Israel Katz stated, “UNRWA – the organization whose employees participated in the October 7 massacre and many of whose employees are Hamas operatives – is part of the problem in the Gaza Strip and not part of the solution.” He also mentioned that the UN was given “endless evidence about Hamas operatives working at UNRWA and about the use of UNRWA facilities for the terror purposes and nothing was done about it.”
The UN agency has refuted these allegations and maintains that it takes measures to uphold its neutrality. In August, UNRWA dismissed nine staff members for their potential involvement in hostilities, while finding insufficient evidence against ten others.
Israel's crackdown on UNRWA has elicited a backlash from the international community. Nations including Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and the UK have urged Israel to refrain from banning UNRWA, expressing “grave concern” over the humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
Katz has refuted claims that there is no alternative to UNRWA, emphasizing that most humanitarian aid reaches Gaza through different organizations and that UNRWA accounts for only 13% of such assistance. He asserted, “The State of Israel is committed to international law and will continue to allow the introduction of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip in a way that does not harm the security of Israeli citizens.”
UNRWA spokesman Jonathan Fowler warned that the ban on its operations “would be likely to cause the collapse of the international humanitarian operation in the Gaza Strip…”
The World Food Programme has also expressed concern, stating that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza “could soon escalate into famine.” Martin Frick, head of the WFP Berlin office, indicated that the agency cannot “replace the important functions of the UNRWA in Gaza, such as the administration of emergency shelters, schools and health centers.”
As noted on UNRWA's website, the agency is primarily funded by voluntary contributions from UN member states and provides services such as education, health care, relief and social services, as well as camp infrastructure, microfinance, and emergency assistance.
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
Israel has formally informed the UN about its decision to terminate a 1967 agreement with UNRWA. Recently, the Israeli parliament enacted legislation that prohibits the agency from operating within the country.
UNRWA was established in 1949 to assist Palestinian refugees following the founding of the state of Israel and the ensuing Arab-Israeli war. In 1967, after the Six-Day War, Israel requested the continuation of UNRWA's operations in Gaza and the West Bank, which the agency agreed to.
On Monday, Foreign Minister Israel Katz stated, “UNRWA – the organization whose employees participated in the October 7 massacre and many of whose employees are Hamas operatives – is part of the problem in the Gaza Strip and not part of the solution.” He also mentioned that the UN was given “endless evidence about Hamas operatives working at UNRWA and about the use of UNRWA facilities for the terror purposes and nothing was done about it.”
The UN agency has refuted these allegations and maintains that it takes measures to uphold its neutrality. In August, UNRWA dismissed nine staff members for their potential involvement in hostilities, while finding insufficient evidence against ten others.
Israel's crackdown on UNRWA has elicited a backlash from the international community. Nations including Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and the UK have urged Israel to refrain from banning UNRWA, expressing “grave concern” over the humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
Katz has refuted claims that there is no alternative to UNRWA, emphasizing that most humanitarian aid reaches Gaza through different organizations and that UNRWA accounts for only 13% of such assistance. He asserted, “The State of Israel is committed to international law and will continue to allow the introduction of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip in a way that does not harm the security of Israeli citizens.”
UNRWA spokesman Jonathan Fowler warned that the ban on its operations “would be likely to cause the collapse of the international humanitarian operation in the Gaza Strip…”
The World Food Programme has also expressed concern, stating that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza “could soon escalate into famine.” Martin Frick, head of the WFP Berlin office, indicated that the agency cannot “replace the important functions of the UNRWA in Gaza, such as the administration of emergency shelters, schools and health centers.”
As noted on UNRWA's website, the agency is primarily funded by voluntary contributions from UN member states and provides services such as education, health care, relief and social services, as well as camp infrastructure, microfinance, and emergency assistance.
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
