Israel invalidates pact with UN assistance organization for Palestinian refugees
Date
11/5/2024 7:28:24 AM
(MENAFN) Israel has officially informed the United Nations that it is terminating its long-standing agreement with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), marking a significant shift in its relationship with the agency. The move comes amid accusations from Israel that UNRWA has ties to Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, and other organizations it considers to be terrorist entities.
The UNRWA was established in 1949 in the aftermath of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the creation of the state of Israel, to address the plight of Palestinian refugees displaced by the war. The agency’s mission expanded after the Six-Day War of 1967, when Israel and the UN agreed to extend its operations to include Gaza and the West Bank, territories under Israeli control at the time.
However, relations between Israel and the UNRWA have deteriorated in recent years, culminating in this decision to revoke the agreement. On Monday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz issued a strong statement accusing UNRWA of enabling Hamas and other militant groups to operate with impunity. Katz claimed that "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."
Katz’s statement referred to allegations that UNRWA staff had been involved in supporting or facilitating violent activities by Hamas, which has controlled Gaza since 2007. He emphasized that Israel had provided "endless evidence" to the UN about Hamas operatives working within the organization and about UNRWA facilities being used for terrorist purposes. Despite these claims, Katz argued, no meaningful action was taken by the UN to address the issue.
This move by Israel follows legislation passed in the Knesset (Israeli parliament) last week that bans the operation of UNRWA in Israel, a step that further escalates tensions between Israel and the agency. Israel has long been critical of the UNRWA, particularly its operations in Gaza, which it sees as bolstering Palestinian groups hostile to the Israeli state.
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