A critical lifeline for Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas war is likely set to be gone soon. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency, also known as UNRWA, provides food, water and medicine to Gazans, but the Israeli government is now working to ban the agency, seeing it as a dangerous cover for Hamas.
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U.N. officials said they are planning to shut down UNRWA operations in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank ahead of two Israeli bills set to take effect this month.
In October 2024, Israel passed laws that will stop UNRWA from operating there beyond the end of January and cut the agency off from access to Israeli entrance permits into Gaza and the West Bank.
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The bills would also end coordination with the Israeli military, which UNRWA relies on to deliver aid to Gaza.
“If we can’t share that information with Israeli authorities on a daily basis then we have staff lives in danger,” Senior UNRWA official Louise Wateridge told The New York Times.
Israel and UNRWA’s tense relationship came to a head last year when Israel accused 18 of the agency’s employees of taking part in the October 2023 Hamas-led terror attack on Israel.
The U.N. fired nine employees after its investigation found they may have been involved in the attack.
Israel also claims that Hamas uses UNRWA schools to hide fighters, but the U.N. denies those accusations.
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reports Israel’s military operations have killed more than 45,000 Palestinians since the start of the war, while Israel has said its attacks are necessary for self-defense against Hamas.
KARAH RUCKER: A CRITICAL LIFELINE FOR PALESTINIANS IN THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR … IS LIKELY SET TO BE GONE SOON.
THE UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY … ALSO KNOWN AS UNRWA (un-ruh) … PROVIDES FOOD, WATER AND MEDICINE TO GAZANS … BUT THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT IS NOW WORKING TO BAN THE AGENCY … SEEING IT AS A DANGEROUS COVER FOR HAMAS.
U-N OFFICIALS SAY THEY ARE PLANNING TO SHUT DOWN UNRWA OPERATIONS IN GAZA AND THE ISRAELI-OCCUPIED WEST BANK AHEAD OF TWO ISRAELI BILLS SET TO TAKE EFFECT THIS MONTH
IN OCTOBER, ISRAEL PASSED LAWS THAT WILL STOP UNRWA FROM OPERATING THERE BEYOND THE END OF JANUARY AND CUT THE AGENCY OFF FROM ACCESS TO ISRAELI ENTRANCE PERMITS INTO GAZA AND THE WEST BANK.
THEY WOULD ALSO END COORDINATION WITH THE ISRAELI MILITARY, WHICH UNRWA RELIES ON TO DELIVER AID TO GAZA … WITH A SENIOR UNRWA OFFICIAL TELLING THE NEW YORK TIMES…
“IF WE CAN’T SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH ISRAELI AUTHORITIES ON A DAILY BASIS THEN WE HAVE STAFF LIVES IN DANGER.”
ISRAEL AND UNRWA’S TENSE RELATIONSHIP … CAME TO A HEAD LAST YEAR WHEN ISRAEL ACCUSED 18 OF THE AGENCY’S EMPLOYEES OF TAKING PART IN THE OCTOBER 20-23 HAMAS-LED TERROR ATTACK ON ISRAEL.
THE U-N FIRED NINE EMPLOYEES AFTER ITS INVESTIGATION FOUND THEY MAY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE ATTACK.
ISRAEL ALSO CLAIMS THAT HAMAS USES UNRWA SCHOOLS TO HIDE FIGHTERS, BUT THE U-N DENIES THOSE ACCUSATIONS.
THE HAMAS RUN GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY REPORTS ISRAEL’S MILITARY OPERATIONS HAVE KILLED MORE THAN 45-THOUSAND PALESTINIANS SINCE THE START OF THE WAR … WHILE ISRAEL HAS SAID ITS ATTACKS ARE NECESSARY FOR SELF-DEFENSE AGAINST HAMAS.
FOR SAN – I’M KARAH RUCKER… FOR ON THIS AND OTHER STORIES ABOUT THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR – DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP TODAY.
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11 other sources covering this story
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3
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