Israel officially informs the UN of the cancellation of the agreement with UNRWA

Israel officially informed the UN on Monday, November 4, of the cancellation of the agreement with UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, voted by the Israeli Parliament, according to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “On the instructions of Foreign Minister Israel Katz, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has notified the UN of the cancellation of the agreement between the State of Israel and UNRWA”adds the press release.

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The Israeli Parliament passed by an overwhelming majority a week ago a law banning the activities in Israel of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, causing an international outcry. The Jewish state, which has long been very critical of the UN body, has accused UNRWA employees of having participated in the massacre perpetrated on its soil by Hamas on October 7, 2023, which sparked the war. in the Gaza Strip.

“UNRWA, the organization whose employees participated in the October 7 massacre and many of whose employees are members of Hamas, is part of the problem in the Gaza Strip and not the solution. The UN has received countless evidence of Hamas operatives being employed by UNRWA and the use of their facilities for terrorist purposes, but nothing has been done about it.”says the ministry.

For its part, UNRWA declared to AFP this Monday that its ban in Israel could provoke “the collapse” of the aid system in the Gaza Strip, ravaged by more than a year of war. “If this law is implemented, it risks causing the collapse of the international humanitarian operation in the Gaza Strip, an operation of which UNRWA is the backbone”said Jonathan Fowler, a spokesperson for the organization.

Hard blow for humanitarian work

The agreement with the UN agency dates back to 1967. UNRWA provides essential aid and assistance to Palestinian refugees in the Palestinian Territories and several other countries in the region. Its cancellation would be a major blow to humanitarian work in Gaza if implemented, experts say.

But Israel Katz rejected this argument, saying only part of the humanitarian aid was delivered to Gaza by UNRWA. “The vast majority of humanitarian aid in Gaza is delivered by other organizations, and only 13% of this aid comes from UNRWA”said the Israeli foreign minister, according to the press release.

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“The State of Israel is committed to international law and will continue to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip in a manner that does not undermine the security of Israeli citizens”continues the press release.

The ban also raised concerns that UNRWA employees in the occupied West Bank could face problems moving from one location to another as well as accessing East Jerusalem or Israel, without coordination with Israeli authorities.