Israel Rejects UN Authority and Promises to Sever Connections with UNRWA, Backed by the US
Israel will halt all communication with the UN’s Palestinian relief agency, UNRWA, as well as any other organizations acting on its behalf, following repeated accusations from Israel’s envoy to the UN regarding the agency’s role in jeopardizing its security.
UNRWA’s offices and personnel in Israel are crucial for delivering healthcare and education services to Palestinians; however, Israeli officials have consistently had conflicts with the agency.
The agency asserts that it has supplied 60% of the food that has reached Gaza since the outbreak of the conflict triggered by the attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.
“Legislation prohibits UNRWA from operating within the sovereign territory of the State of Israel and disallows any interactions between Israeli officials and UNRWA,” declared envoy Danny Danon.
UNRWA claims to have brought in 60% of the food to have reached Gaza since the start of the war
“Israel will cease all forms of cooperation, communication, and interaction with UNRWA or any representatives acting on its behalf.”
Israel alleges that numerous UNRWA staff members participated in the October 7 assault and insists that other organizations can adequately provide essential services, humanitarian aid, and reconstruction efforts—an assertion disputed by the UN.
A series of investigations, including one led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna, uncovered some “neutrality-related issues” with UNRWA, but emphasized that Israel has not supplied proof for its principal accusations.
‘Jeopardizing’ peace and security
The head of the agency, Philippe Lazzarini, stated that UNRWA’s “ability to directly deliver primary healthcare for millions of Palestinians and to resume education for hundreds of thousands of children far surpasses that of any other organization.”
He described Israel’s actions against UNRWA as a “relentless assault” that is “detrimental to the lives and futures of Palestinians throughout the occupied Palestinian territory.”
“This is eroding their trust in the international community and endangering any possibility for peace and security,” he added.
The Hamas attack on October 7 resulted in the deaths of 1,210 individuals, primarily civilians, according to a tally based on official Israeli data.
Philippe Lazzarini (C), Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency
During the assault, militants took 251 hostages into Gaza, with eighty-seven still in the territory, including many that Israel claims are deceased.
Israel’s retaliatory campaign has resulted in at least 47,317 fatalities in Gaza, the majority being civilians, according to figures provided by the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled region, which the UN considers reliable.
The ongoing conflict has triggered a severe humanitarian crisis, leading to the destruction of hospitals, the outbreak of infectious diseases, and leaving hundreds of thousands of Gazans in dire conditions of starvation, heavily reliant on food aid.
“We are determined, however, to remain and provide assistance until it is no longer feasible to do so,” declared Mr. Lazzarini.
