‘The UN Did Nothing’: Israel Formally Severs Ties with UNRWA Over Hamas ‘Infiltration’

Latest Developments

• Israel Nullifies UNRWA Agreement: The Israeli government notified the United Nations on November 3 that it is withdrawing from the 1967 agreement that formalized Israel’s relationship with the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). “Despite the overwhelming evidence we submitted to the UN that substantiate Hamas’ infiltration of UNRWA,” Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon explained, “the UN did nothing to rectify the situation.

• UNRWA Employees Moonlight as Terrorists: In January, the Israeli government shared a dossier with the Biden administration that revealed the participation of 12 UNRWA employees in Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre. Israeli intelligence indicated that approximately 450 UNRWA staff in Gaza were terror operatives at the time of the attack.

• Alternatives Exist: Refuting claims from the top echelons of the United Nations that disempowering UNRWA “will have a catastrophic impact,” Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz noted that “currently, 87% of humanitarian aid flows through other organizations, with UNRWA handling just 13%,” emphasizing that Israel “will continue facilitating humanitarian aid to Gaza while ensuring Israeli citizens’ security.”

FDD Expert Response

“The United States regularly works with an alphabet soup of organizations equipped to assist displaced populations, provide emergency aid where needed, and help transition to self-sufficiency post-conflict. UNRWA is not one of those agencies.” — Richard Goldberg, Senior Advisor

“Since the Hamas atrocities of October 7, the United Nations’ top leadership — in particular Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UNRWA Director-General Philippe Lazzarini — have been more concerned with preserving UNRWA’s existing status than with addressing the need for a comprehensive review of the agency’s mandate and purpose. Unsurprisingly, Israel has lost patience, yet the response of these same individuals is to warn of catastrophe in everything from the delivery of humanitarian aid to the provision of education while ruling out practical alternatives. Nobody’s interests, least of all Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, are served by these machinations.” — Ben Cohen, Senior Analyst and Rapid Response Manager

“At best, UNRWA is a biased organization that indulges the maximalist Palestinian goal of annihilating Israel. At worst, it is an active participant in those ambitions. Israel is right to cut ties with the UN agency whose employees slaughtered and kidnapped Israelis on October 7, 2023.” — David May, Research Manager and Senior Research Analyst

FDD Background and Analysis

“10 Things to Know About the UN Relief and Works Agency,” FDD Insight

“Turn-Key Alternatives to Replace UNRWA Immediately,” by Richard Goldberg and Bonnie Glick

“Israel Passes Legislation Curtailing UNRWA’s Operations,” FDD Flash Brief

“UNRWA Employee Claims Agency’s Vehicles Commandeered by Hamas in Gaza,” FDD Flash Brief