Israel Officially Cuts Ties With UNRWA

Accusing the U.N. relief agency of being too close to Hamas, Israel told the United Nations that its authorities would no longer work with it.

An Israeli soldier runs down a crater-like hole giving way to a tunnel entrance, leading to where the military discovered tunnels underneath the main headquarters of UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, in Gaza on Feb. 8, 2024. AP Photo/Ariel Schalit

Israel formally notified the United Nations on Nov. 4 that it was canceling the agreement regulating its relations with the U.N.’s principal agency for Palestinian relief.

Last month, the Israeli Knesset passed legislation banning the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) from operating in Israel and barring Israeli authorities from cooperating with it.