Israel is standing firm against the International Court of Justice’s directive to permit UNRWA to resume its activities in Gaza, with senior officials making clear that there will be no reversal of current policy.
Speaking to Kan Reshet Bet, a senior Israeli official made the government’s stance unmistakable: “From our perspective, UNRWA will not set foot in Gaza again. Israel’s experience with UN agencies in Gaza has shown that they have either completely failed in their mission or were effectively influenced and operated by Hamas.”
The official added that Israel’s position has been made known to Washington as well. “We hope the United States will see eye to eye with Israel on this issue,” he said.
The International Court of Justice issued its ruling Wednesday, responding to a request from the United Nations. The court determined that Israel had not presented adequate proof that a substantial number of UNRWA employees were acting on behalf of Hamas, nor did it demonstrate that the agency lacked neutrality.
However, Israeli officials and intelligence sources maintain that the evidence against UNRWA is overwhelming. A January 2024 Wall Street Journal investigation revealed that roughly ten percent of the agency’s employees in Gaza had direct connections to terrorist organizations.
That report detailed that at least 12 UNRWA workers personally took part in the October 7 massacre—six joined the terrorists who stormed through the border fence, two assisted in the abduction of Israelis, two were tracked to sites where mass killings took place, and others coordinated weapons transfers and logistics for the assault.
In addition, intelligence indicated that a thirteenth employee, though not confirmed as affiliated with any specific terror group, also crossed into Israel on October 7.
The Wall Street Journal further cited intelligence findings that “around 1,200 of UNRWA’s roughly 12,000 employees in Gaza have links to Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and about half have close relatives” connected to these terror organizations.
A senior Israeli official told the paper that “UNRWA’s problem is not just ‘a few bad apples’ involved in the October 7 massacre. The institution as a whole is a haven for Hamas’ radical ideology.” An UNRWA spokesperson declined to comment on the report.
{Matzav.com}
