Israel Formalizes Termination of Relations with UNRWA

Following a favorable vote by the Knesset, Israel notified the United Nations to terminate relations with the United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

This was stated by the Israeli Foreign Ministry:

“On behalf of Minister Israel Katz, the Foreign Ministry notified the UN that the agreement between the State of Israel and UNRWA has been canceled.” Israel essentially condemns the fact that among the attackers on October 7, 2023 were members of the organization, and many others were Hamas agents, for this reason UNRWA is “part of the problem in Gaza, not part of the solution.”

The vote in the Israeli parliament in the last week of October that banned the UN organization was followed by condemnation from the international community, including Jerusalem’s number one ally – the USA.

UNRWA has been working in Gaza for sixty years: the agency’s recognition dates back to 1967. In recent years, its work has been instrumental in providing aid in the Palestinian territories. But that’s not the case for Katz, at least not entirely: “Even now, the vast majority of humanitarian aid in Gaza is provided through other organizations, and only 13% is provided through the Agency.”

Katz also explained that “Israel will continue to work with international partners, including other UN agencies, to ensure that the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza is facilitated in a way that does not jeopardize Israel’s security.”