On January 30, two new Israeli laws will go into effect intended to prevent the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) from operating in areas under Israel’s control. The proximate cause for the legislation is the widespread participation of UNRWA employees in the October 7 attacks, and the determination that over 2,000 of them are also members of Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad. But Israelis have also come to realize a far more serious problem: the group’s purpose is to prolong the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Worse still, in Gaza—as Shany Mor has written—UNRWA takes the responsibilities of education and welfare out of the hands of Hamas, allowing it to focus entirely on terror.
Maurice Hirsch explains how this new law will work:
UNRWA operates in Israel, Gaza, Judea, and Samaria at the invitation of Israel. Following [its] request, Israel provided UNRWA with a status similar to that of other UN organizations. These special privileges include substantial tax exemptions, special UNRWA-registered vehicles, and foreign staff. Israel even turned a blind eye to building infractions in UNRWA’s main logistical compound in Jerusalem.
The legislation, passed by the Knesset, to which the government must adhere, is very clear: as of January 30, 2025, UNRWA will no longer be able to function in Israel, Gaza, Judea, or Samaria. The agency will no longer enjoy tax exemptions or other trappings associated with being a recognized organization.
Despite having been given sufficient notice, terror-infested UNRWA is refusing to wrap up its operations and transfer its functions to other actors. By its actions, it would seem that UNRWA believes that it can force itself upon Israel, irrespective of the new legislation.
By refusing to accept this reality and smoothly pass its functions onto an appropriate alternate body, UNRWA is again doing a disservice to the people to whom it provides services.
Read more at Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs
More about: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, UNRWA