Israel alleges that the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) is full of Hamas operatives and reaffirms its commitment to end ties with the agency this week.
“UNRWA equals Hamas. Israel has made public irrefutable evidence UNRWA is riddled with Hamas operatives,” government spokesman David Mencer tells journalists as Israel prepares to cut ties with the agency on Thursday.
“Israel makes clear… if a state funds UNRWA, that state is funding terrorists. UNRWA employs over 1,200 Hamas members, including terrorists who carried out the October 7 massacre,” Mencer says. “This isn’t aid, it’s direct financial support for terror.”
Israel, backed by Washington, will cease contact with UNRWA from Thursday, a move that has drawn condemnation from aid groups as well as US allies.
UNRWA has long clashed with Israeli officials, who have repeatedly accused it of undermining the country’s security. But Israeli anger at the body rose dramatically after the Oct. 7 attack, as several agency employees took part in the killings and kidnappings, and officials allege that many hundreds have ties to terror groups.
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