Israel has moved to scrap a decades-long agreement with the United Nations governing ties with the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, and the country has announced it will cancel. The agreement made in 1967, which paved the way for cooperation between Israel and UNRWA, will be canceled because it provides aid to Palestinian refugees.

This follows new Israeli laws that bar UNRWA from operating in Israel due to its alleged penetration with Hamas. The legislation will come into effect three months from now, setting off an international debate regarding the implications on Palestinian populations, especially in Gaza, which relies on UNRWA for its essential service.

Israeli Fears Over Hamas Penetration

More and more, Israel has criticized UNRWA as having been infiltrated by Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, particularly in Gaza. The Israeli government says that some UNRWA staff were involved in the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 and that facilities have been used for militant purposes. In August, the UN oversight office inquiry found that nine staff of UNRWA were involved in the attack and were subsequently fired. Another senior Hamas official reportedly working for UNRWA was killed by Israeli forces in Lebanon.

Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon voiced his frustration over the issue, remarking that although Israel had presented evidence of militant activity within UNRWA, the UN “did nothing to address this reality.” Israeli officials continue that the UN’s failure to address supposed militant activity occurring within UNRWA leaves the government with no choice but to halt cooperation.

Effects of the New Law

A newly passed law, set to come into effect at the beginning of 2025, will not allow UNRWA to operate in Israel, while Israeli authorities will not be allowed to collaborate with the agency. Although this law does not target the work of UNRWA in the West Bank or Gaza directly, it may impede the ability of the agency to work efficiently in those regions. UNRWA communications director Juliette Touma spoke out in reaction, stating that the agency implores UN member states to ask Israel not to carry out this law, calling the situation “a race against time.”

Originally intended to help the Palestinian people, it currently delivers humanitarian aid to 5.9 million refugees inside and outside of Gaza and the West Bank in multiple fields that range from education to health services and other types of food aid. The agency has explicitly stated its solid sense of neutrality and complained about the abuses of some of its facilities as ways to facilitate other operations carried out by other militants.

The UN and other international actors condemned the decision of Israel, voicing a concern that ending the service may worsen the plight of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The UN Security Council alerted moves to dismantle UNRWA, citing the latter’s stabilizing effect in the area.

The Israeli government, however, insists that UNRWA perpetuates the refugee issue. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long called for the agency to be dismantled, arguing that its operations hinder a long-term solution for Palestinians.

UNRWA said that it remains committed to its mandate and has asked Israeli authorities to cooperate in investigations over accusations of Hamas infiltration into its staff. According to Touma, however, no specific evidence or cooperation has been forthcoming from Israel in connection with charges against its personnel. The agency has repeatedly condemned all forms of militant activities around its facilities and called for accountability on the part of both parties to the continuing conflict.