Israel has ordered the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to cease all operations in Jerusalem and evacuate its facilities by January 30, according to a letter from Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon to Secretary-General António Guterres.
The injunction follows a law passed in October by the Israeli parliament banning UNRWA's activities in Israel, including in Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem, where the agency runs schools and health centers. Israel accuses UNRWA of being infiltrated by Hamas and says some of the agency's employees participated in the October 7, 2023, attacks.
Ambassador Danon justified the decision by citing "serious security risks" and a lack of neutrality on the part of UNRWA. In response, the UN Secretary-General reiterated that Israel, as an "occupying power", would be required to maintain the services provided by the agency if its activities were to be suspended.
UNRWA is tasked with providing essential services, such as education and health care, to millions of Palestinian refugees. Its director, Philippe Lazzarini, recently affirmed the agency’s intention to continue its work despite the restrictions, although they make its operations “even more complicated.” The United Nations has reaffirmed that UNRWA is “irreplaceable” in helping the Palestinian population.
