The foreign ministry of Israel stated on Monday that it has officially informed the United Nations that it is terminating the agreement that has governed its relationship with the primary U.N. relief organization for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) since 1967.
The Israeli parliament passed legislation last month that prohibits the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) from operating in Israel and prevents Israeli authorities from collaborating with the organization. UNRWA is responsible for providing aid and educational services for thousands of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.
In the aftermath of the 1948 war, Israel and UNRWA were established amid allegations of conflict perpetuation and anti-Israel bias.
The UN and some Western allies of Israel are concerned that the new law will exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where Israel has been fighting Hamas militants for a year.
Israel’s U.N. Ambassador, Danny Danon, claimed in a statement that the U.N. ignored the reality of Hamas infiltrating UNRWA, despite their substantial evidence.
The law does not explicitly forbid UNRWA’s operations in the West Bank and Gaza, which are located outside of Israel but under Israeli occupation.
