UK Ignores Evidence About UNRWA

Israel has formally ended a co-operation agreement with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) that covered protection, movement and diplomatic immunity of the agency’s staff in Israel, Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip.

The Israelis notified the United Nations in a letter on Sunday, following the passing of new laws by Israel`s Knesset last week, laws that ban UNRWA from operating in Israel and prevent Israeli officials from co-operating with the agency when they come into effect in January 2025.

Along with many others, the UK Government has protested loudly about this move against UNRWA. The day after the laws were passed by the Knesset, the UK’s Minister for Development claimed that “UNRWA is indispensable in the provision of aid for Palestinians.”

She followed that claim with another that the UN Secretary-General and the Commissioner-General of UNRWA took the allegations seriously, and acted decisively, such that they cannot now be used to justify cutting ties with UNRWA.

But the Israelis contest that claim about decisive action by the UN, and there is a contradiction within the UK Government’s position. It claims to be reassured that UNRWA is meeting the highest standards of neutrality but at the same time allocates £1 million of its funding to support implementation of the reforms recommended in the review of UNRWA.

While the UK Foreign Secretary claimed in July that he was appalled by the allegations but that UNRWA has acted, the Israelis are convinced that UNRWA has done very little to address major problems.

Indeed, problems within UNRWA’s education system were described in the review as “grave violations of neutrality”. So, the UK Government appears to be ignoring substantial evidence of UNRWA favouring Hamas and effectively prolonging the conflict.

Here is a recording of the Foreign Secretary’s statement in July.