An Israeli ban on the United Nation’s agency for Palestinians because of its ties to terror organizations, including Hamas, came into effect on Thursday, a day after the Supreme Court rejected a petition from a rights group contesting the move.
Times of Israel UNRWA, formally titled the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, is now banned from operating on Israeli soil, and contact between it and Israeli officials is also forbidden.
The ban was passed by the Knesset in November with a wide majority, with the support of opposition parties, amid a series of revelations about employees of the agency who were actively involved in terror groups in the Gaza Strip, participation of some of its staff in the October 7, 2023, Hamas invasion and slaughter, and repeated use of UNRWA infrastructure for terror activities. Israel has also provided evidence that the agency’s schools incited hatred of Israel and glorification of attacks against Israelis.
For example:
⚠️Norway 🇳🇴 announced they will transfer $ 24.5 million to UNRWA: “UNRWA is needed more than ever.”
UNRWA 🇺🇳 students:
“Stabbing Jews brings dignity to the Palestinians. They teach us that Jews are terrorists. I am ready to stab a jew.”
Shameful.
— Vivid.🇮🇱 (@VividProwess) January 30, 2025
Israel has long argued that UNRWA perpetuates the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by using this definition of refugee, the only case in which the status is passed down generationally.
It is one of two UN refugee agencies. While UNRWA caters to Palestinians, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is responsible for all other refugees around the world.
The hostility between Israel and the UN body intensified in the wake of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, which saw some 3,000 terrorists burst across the border, killing some 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages, with accusations that UNRWA employees participated in the assault.
The Supreme Court noted in its Wednesday ruling against Palestinian human rights group Adalah’s petition that the legislation “prohibits UNRWA activity only on the sovereign territory of the State of Israel,” but “does not prohibit such activity in the areas of Judea-Samaria and the Gaza Strip,” referring to the West Bank by its biblical name. The ban does apply, however, to East Jerusalem, where UNRWA has a field headquarters for its operations in the West Bank.
“Humanitarian aid doesn’t equal UNRWA, and UNRWA doesn’t equal humanitarian aid. UNRWA equals an organization infested with Hamas terror activity,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein wrote on X ahead of the ban. “This is why, beginning on January 30 and in accordance with Israeli law, Israel will have no contact with UNRWA.”
Government spokesman David Mencer told journalists on Wednesday that “UNRWA is riddled with Hamas operatives,” adding that “if a state funds UNRWA, that state is funding terrorists.” “UNRWA employs over 1,200 Hamas members, including terrorists who carried out the October 7 massacre,” Mencer said. “This isn’t aid, it’s direct financial support for terror.”
Israel has provided evidence that a dozen UNRWA employees were involved in the deadly 2023 attack and insists that other agencies can pick up the slack to provide essential services, aid and reconstruction — something the UN and many donor governments dispute.
Under US President Donald Trump, who returned to the White House earlier this month, Washington has thrown its weight behind Israel’s move, accusing UNRWA of overstating the impact of the decision.
This only shows how Islamophobic the zionist entity is! I hope the ICC rules against this.
So much for your propaganda.
The whole point of the United Nations Rockets and Weapons Administration has always been so that the Palestinians can fulfil Mohammed’s (Peace Be Upon Him) prophecies to make the entire world dar el Islam.
Can someone please explain to me how one living in his/her own nation or country can be considered a refugee. I am beginning to realize that common sense and Oxford definitions are not applicable to Arabs living in Palestine. Using their rationale, Jews from Ethiopia and parts of Europe must also be refugees and deserving of aid from the UN.
Hi BNI. I read recently that the reason they call areas (which are regular homes and neighborhoods) of the Pals “REFUGEE” is because groups like UNRWA would not be able to work with them otherwise. Yes, I’m sure there’s more detail than that, but I don’t remember the exact verbiage that was used.
If anyone reads this, and has more time than I do right now – can you research it and post if on this site. The facts are that they’re always scheming, lying, cheating, and creating chaos, and I’ll bet this is just another example of it. Too bad Israel doesn’t seem to know – but should!
This simple graphic pretty well explains the corruption involved in UNRWA for the Palestinians vs UN Relief agencies for the rest of the world combined:
Common sense teaches me to stab and drive over the pallyswines, as moslems are the lowest of ALL creatures.
Alley-hoo-ackburrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Amen to that!