Jerusalem– Israel said on Monday it had terminated the agreement facilitating the work of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, the main aid provider in Gaza, in what appeared to be a step to implement legislation passed last month that would sever ties with the agency and prevent it from operating in Israel.
UNRWA operates schools in the occupied West Bank and the war-torn Gaza Strip, provides emergency aid during humanitarian crises, and offers healthcare, food assistance and other social services, Xinhua news agency reported.
The decision has drawn widespread criticism from the UN and the international community, especially as Gaza faces what the UN describes as a “catastrophic” humanitarian crisis amid the ongoing Israeli assault.
Israel has alleged that some UNRWA staff members were involved in Hamas-led attack on Israeli communities in October.
More than a year of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 43,000 — mostly civilians, Palestinian health officials say more than half of those killed were women and children. The war began after Palestinian militants stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and abducting 250 others.
UNRWA was established in 1948 following the war that led to the founding of Israel and the displacement of tens of thousands of Palestinians.
