Last week, the Knesset made it illegal for UNRWA to operate in Israeli territory, and for state officials to cooperate with the agency.

By JNS

Israel has terminated the 1967 agreement outlining the legal basis for relations between Jerusalem and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), a week after the Knesset passed legislation banning the agency’s operations in the Jewish state.

“UNRWA, the organization whose employees took part in the October 7 massacre and many of whose workers are Hamas operatives, is part of the problem in the Gaza Strip, not part of the solution,” according to a statement by Foreign Minister Israel Katz.

“The U.N. was provided with countless pieces of evidence regarding Hamas operatives who work in UNRWA, and nothing was done,” he added.

“Don’t believe those claiming there is no substitute for UNRWA. Already, the vast majority of humanitarian aid [in Gaza]is delivered through other organizations, only 13 percent is delivered through UNRWA. The State of Israel is bound by international law and will continue to allow the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza in a manner that will not harm the security of the citizens of Israel,” continued Katz.

Last Monday, the Knesset made it illegal for UNRWA to operate in Israeli territory, and for state officials to cooperate with the agency.

Two laws were passed by a large majority following the exposure of UNRWA staff complicity in Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 massacre, and despite pressure from the United States and other countries against the move.

Following the Knesset’s vote, the Israeli Foreign Ministry called the Palestinian refugee agency “rotten.”

“It is not just a few rotten apples, as U.N. Secretary-General [Antonio] Guterres is trying to claim. UNRWA in Gaza is a rotten tree entirely infected with terrorist operatives,” the ministry stated at the time.

Despite the ban, which will come into full effect in 90 days, Israel has committed to ensuring the continued flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

“Israel is committed to international law and to providing humanitarian aid to Gaza, and will continue to act on this subject with UN agencies and international organizations such as the World Food Program, UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and a number of other organizations, this while complying with its international obligations,” the ministry said.

“Hamas has infiltrated UNRWA in Gaza widely and deeply,” the statement continued. “UNRWA employees were involved in the horrific 7 October massacre. Moreover, Israel handed over to the U.N. details about an additional 100 Hamas operatives who are employed by UNRWA, yet UNRWA has not taken any measures to handle the issue, and is not moving forward with any serious steps to deal with the terrorist operatives in its ranks.”

The U.S. State Department expressed “deep concern” over the legislation, emphasizing UNRWA’s critical role in delivering aid to Gaza.

The Biden administration has stepped up pressure on Jerusalem to meet a host of demands focused on vastly expanding the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

Last month, the White House confirmed a report in Axios that Washington had sent a letter to Israel containing an ultimatum: Improve the humanitarian conditions in the Palestinian enclave within 30 days or risk a hold-up in the supply of U.S. weapons.