Watan-The Israeli government’s decision to ban the operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in East Jerusalem came into effect today, Thursday. International staff members of the agency have left East Jerusalem as their Israeli permits have expired, while local employees did not report to UNRWA offices.
Israel had ordered UNRWA to evacuate all its facilities in East Jerusalem and cease its operations there by today. The decision was conveyed in a letter sent by Israel’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Danny Danon, to UN Secretary-General António Guterres on January 24.
He stated that “the agency must cease its activities in Jerusalem starting today, Thursday, January 30, as stipulated by law, and vacate all buildings it operates from, including its headquarters and institutions.” Danon claimed that “Hamas and other organizations have long infiltrated UNRWA” and that the Secretary-General’s “insistence on denying and ignoring the evidence provided by Israel regarding the agency’s lack of neutrality and the presence of terrorism within it” forced Israel to “act responsibly toward its citizens and respond by ceasing cooperation with the organization.”
For years, Israel has accused UNRWA of being linked to “terrorist” organizations, including allegations of using its facilities for weapon storage and incitement against Israel. These claims were reiterated with increased intensity during its war of extermination in Gaza, where it also targeted numerous humanitarian organizations and their teams. On the international stage, successive Israeli governments have consistently sought to shift the global approach to the Palestinian refugee issue, undermine UNRWA’s status, and diminish its influence.
UNRWA spokesperson Jonathan Fowler stated yesterday: “The visa period for international staff was shortened to expire today (January 29), which is effectively an expulsion. Therefore, my colleagues and I, who were in the agency’s headquarters in Jerusalem today, have departed for Amman (Jordan), and I have just arrived in Jordan.”
He added: “Our commitment to complying with the decision stems from the fact that anyone working for the United Nations anywhere must obtain a visa from the country or authorities where they are stationed. We do not operate in violation of the law, even if that means acting under duress, which effectively renders us persona non grata. We had no choice but to comply.” He continued: “The international staff at the headquarters have been relocated so that we can resume our work, though at this stage, we have no visibility on how or when that will happen.”
Fowler further stated: “As for the local staff, who make up the majority of our employees, they will not be present at the complex due to potential risks, especially given the demonstrations organized by various Israeli movements around the headquarters in East Jerusalem.”
The United Nations had repeatedly called on Israel to reverse its decision, but to no avail. On Wednesday evening, the Israeli Supreme Court rejected a petition submitted by the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, “Adalah,” seeking a temporary injunction to halt actions against UNRWA. In a statement, Adalah (a non-governmental organization) said: “The Israeli Supreme Court has denied a request for a temporary injunction filed by Adalah as part of its petition against two laws aimed at halting the operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).”
Israel’s ban focuses on UNRWA’s institutions in occupied Jerusalem, which include health and educational centers—among them seven schools and a university institute—whose operations will now cease. More than 110,000 Palestinian refugees, primarily residing in the Shuafat refugee camp north of Jerusalem, as well as in the Old City and its surrounding areas, rely on these services.
The United Nations General Assembly established UNRWA in 1949, mandating it to provide humanitarian aid and protection to registered Palestinian refugees in its areas of operation until a just and lasting solution to their plight is reached. The agency operates in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. It is funded almost entirely through voluntary donations. On October 28, 2024, the Israeli Knesset approved, with a significant majority, two laws that ban UNRWA from carrying out any activities within Israel, revoke its privileges and facilities, and prohibit any official contact with it.
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