TEL AVIV: Israel has officially informed the United Nations that it is canceling its agreement with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the country’s foreign ministry said on Monday, a move that has raised international concerns about the humanitarian fallout in Gaza.
In October, Israel approved legislation that bans UNRWA’s operations within Israel and halts any cooperation with the agency, which has provided essential aid and education services to millions of Palestinians in the occupied territories for over five decades.
The UNRWA warned that Israel’s decision threatens to destabilize humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip, which relies heavily on the agency’s aid amid ongoing conflict.
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“If this law is implemented, it would be likely to cause the collapse of the international humanitarian operation in the Gaza Strip — an operation of which UNRWA is the backbone,” said Jonathan Fowler, a spokesperson for UNRWA.
The new legislation does not directly outlaw UNRWA’s activities in the West Bank or Gaza — territories that remain under Israeli occupation but are not considered part of Israel by international law. However, it is expected to severely hinder the agency’s ability to operate in these areas.
The United Nations and several Western governments have voiced apprehension, warning that the absence of UNRWA could destabilize Gaza further.
