Israel Ends Funding to UNRWA

Israeli lawmakers passed two bills Monday to stop the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (unrwa) from operating in Israel due to the group’s disturbing terrorist activities.

  • Despite strong international pressure to keep funding unrwa, these laws will end Israel’s funding to the UN organization and terminate its operations in Gaza and the West Bank within 90 days.

History of terror: In January, an Israeli intelligence dossier was published alleging that unrwa had been supporting terrorist organizations, including Hamas.

  • The relief agency is intended to provide health care and support for Palestinians, but the Israeli dossier purported that 50 percent of its employees have at least one close relative with ties to Hamas. It also provided the names and photographs of 12 unrwa employees who participated in Hamas’s terror attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
  • Mohammed Abu Atawi, who participated in last year’s massacre, was eliminated on October 24. unrwa confirmed that he was an employee of their organization.
  • In March, the Middle East Media Research Institute revealed that Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’s former political leader, was originally a teacher at one of unrwa’s schools.

Brother betrayed: Several nations, including Britain, halted their funding to unrwa in January after Israel published its allegations of the organization’s involvement in the October 7 massacre. But in July, Britain announced that it would provide $27 million to the organization.

In response to Israel’s new anti-unrwa laws, the foreign ministers of key countries including France, Canada and the United Kingdom released a statement denouncing the legislation. United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli officials last week, speaking about the importance of keeping Palestinian aid organizations operational. Such pressure shows that Israel is under attack, not only by hostile neighbors but also by its historical allies, Britain and America.

The Trumpet said: The Bible prophesies of America’s and Britain’s betrayal of their brother, the State of Israel. Because of this, the Trumpet has closely followed the weakening ties between these nations.

Learn more: Read “Israel: A Brother Betrayed.”