Israel has informed the United States it will not allow UNRWA, the UN’s Palestinian relief agency, to operate again in Gaza—despite a recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling urging cooperation.
According to Israel’s Kan public broadcaster, an Israeli official said UNRWA “will not step foot in Gaza,” claiming the agency either failed its mission or became compromised by Hamas.
The ICJ ruled that Israel must allow UNRWA to deliver humanitarian aid, saying Israel did not provide sufficient proof that the agency had lost neutrality. However, the court’s opinion is non-binding, meaning Israel faces no legal requirement to comply.
Israel’s stance underscores growing mistrust of UN agencies in Gaza, while Jerusalem hopes Washington will back its position.
