UNRWA reportedly preparing to close its offices in Gaza, West Bank ahead of Israeli ban

The controversial UN aid agency UNRWA is reportedly in the process of closing down its operations in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank ahead of the Israeli ban that takes effect on Jan. 28. 

In late October, Israel’s Knesset approved two laws: one banning UNRWA activities within Israeli territory and the other aimed at significantly restricting its operations in the Gaza Strip, as well as in Judea and Samaria, internationally known as the West Bank.

Louise Wateridge, a senior UNRWA official in Gaza, recently told The New York Times that a lack of coordination with Israel jeopardized the security of the agency’s staff members. 

“If we can’t share that information with Israeli authorities on a daily basis then we have staff lives in danger,” Wateridge argued.

Many Gazans who receive aid from UNRWA are concerned about their future. 

“The world has abandoned us. We have nothing but the aid we get from UNRWA to survive,” said Sami Abu Darweesh who currently lives in a UNRWA-run camp in southern Gaza. “If that stops, what will we do?” 

Enas al-Hila, another displaced Gazan, articulated similar sentiments. 

“UNRWA has always been our only hope for jobs, food, flour,” al-Hila said. “It’s the lifeline for us and our children, just as it was for our parents and grandparents,”

In late October, the Israeli Knesset formally banned UNRWA’s activities due to the UN agency's strong ties with the Hamas terrorist organization. Israeli intelligence has estimated that at least 10% of UNRWA’s staff members in Gaza are members of Hamas and other terrorist groups. 

In addition, antisemitic propaganda has, for years, been rampant in UNRWA-run schools. A report in January 2024 revealed that multiple UNRWA teachers praised the Oct. 7 massacre and called for the murder of Israelis and Jews. 

The Israeli decision to ban UNRWA from Israeli territory and significantly restrict its operations in Gaza was strongly criticized by the international community, which has largely ignored UNRWA’s strong affiliations with anti-Israel terrorism. The Biden administration and other governments warned that closing UNRWA would undermine the humanitarian work in Gaza.

However, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) stressed that Israel was prepared to cooperate with aid agencies that are not affiliated with terror groups that threaten its security. 

“Since avoiding a humanitarian crisis is also essential, sustained humanitarian aid must remain available in Gaza now and in the future. In the 90 days before this legislation takes effect – and after – we stand ready to work with our international partners to ensure Israel continues to facilitate humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza in a way that does not threaten Israel’s security,” the PMO stated. 

In January 2024, the United States and several other governments temporarily suspended financial aid to UNRWA after Israel had presented incriminating evidence that UNRWA workers participated in the Hamas Oct. 7 massacre of over 1,200 Israelis and the kidnapping of 251 people from Israeli Gaza border communities. 

However, international aid to UNRWA was largely restored after a panel report in April 2024 whitewashed UNRWA’s strong ties with Hamas and other terror groups. 

“Israel made public claims that a significant number of UNRWA employees are members of terrorist organizations. However, Israel has yet to provide supporting evidence of this,” the report claimed. 

In July, the Israeli Foreign Ministry sent a letter to the UNRWA General Philippe Lazzarini with the names of more than 100 terrorists who were employed by the UN aid agency. 

The Israeli ambassador to Jordan, Amir Weissbrod, who wrote the letter, stressed that Israel was concerned about the strong ties between UNRWA and Hamas. 

"However, the full scope of this unprecedented infiltration was unknown and became clear only after the October 7th terrorist attack on Israel, in which, as you know, UNRWA employees actively participated," Weissbrod wrote. 

Despite its denial of strong links to Hamas terrorism, the UN fired nine UNRWA workers in August 2024 due to their involvement in the Oct. 7 atrocities.