From Thursday, UNRWA is prohibited from operating on Israeli territory. At the same time, all contact between the UN agency and Israeli authorities is being stopped.
The ban does not include UNRWA's activities in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. However, the agency's operations in East Jerusalem, which is also occupied by Israel, are covered by the Israeli ban.
UNRWA has had its headquarters for its work on the West Bank there. Israel has also shortened all visas for UNRWA's international staff, so that they expire on Wednesday, according to the UN.
"It's the same as being expelled or declared persona non grata", says UNRWA's spokesperson Jonathan Fowler in a press release.
UNRWA has helped millions of Palestinian refugees in the Middle East with, among other things, education, healthcare, and economic assistance for over 70 years.
"No other organization has the scope and depth required to do what we do", says Jonathan Fowler.
Already before October 7, 2023, the UN agency was accused of being a threat to Israel's security. After Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel, the conflict escalated further. Employees of the UN agency participated in the attack, claims Israel.
The UN has investigated the allegations and found that nine employees may have been involved in Hamas' terrorist attack. The nine have been dismissed.
"The ongoing attack on UNRWA harms the lives and future of Palestinians throughout the occupied Palestinian territory", writes UNRWA's chief Philippe Lazzarini on X.
