View of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) building in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Photo: Abed Rahim Khatib / Flash90.

i24 News – Israel has officially demanded that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) cease all activities in East Jerusalem within six days.

The directive, conveyed in a letter from Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, calls for the agency to vacate its premises in the city by January 30.

This marks the enforcement of legislation passed by the Knesset in October 2024 that bans UNRWA’s operations within Israel’s jurisdiction.

In his letter, Danon justified the action by citing serious national security risks, alleging that Hamas and other terrorist organizations have infiltrated the ranks of UNRWA. “This decision is a response to the grave danger posed by the widespread infiltration of terrorist organizations into UNRWA’s structures and operations. UNRWA has consistently refused to address these critical concerns raised by Israel,” Danon wrote.

The ambassador underscored Israel’s readiness to cooperate with other UN agencies not implicated by similar security threats. “Israel remains committed to international law and is prepared to work collaboratively with the United Nations and its agencies, provided they are free from the influence of terrorist organizations,” Danon added.

The Knesset’s legislation, passed in late October 2024, explicitly prohibits UNRWA from operating within Israeli territory and bars Israeli officials from engaging with the agency’s personnel. This move represents a significant escalation in Israel’s long-standing critique of UNRWA, which it accuses of perpetuating the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and fostering anti-Israel sentiment.

Israel has also raised concerns about the misuse of UNRWA facilities, claiming they have been used for incitement against Israel and, in some cases, to store weapons or facilitate militant activities. These allegations have fueled a broader campaign by Israeli officials to diminish UNRWA’s presence in the region.

The UNRWA was established in 1949 to provide assistance to Palestinian refugees displaced during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Over the decades, its mandate has expanded to include education, health care, and social services for millions of Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. However, critics argue that its operations have become politicized and that it has failed to contribute to resolving the refugee issue.

The UN has yet to formally respond to Israel’s demand. It remains unclear how this directive will impact the refugees reliant on UNRWA’s services in East Jerusalem, where the agency runs schools, clinics, and other critical facilities.