Update 1/4/25 at 7:00pm EST: An UNRWA spokesperson has described the claim that UNRWA was preparing to end operations in Gaza as “grossly inaccurate.” However, the official did not discuss how UNRWA would continue to operate after laws that effectively ban the organization in Israel and the occupied territories comes into effect later this month.
After Israel passed a series of laws that target the UN’s Palestinian Aid Agency (UNRWA), the organization is now planning to terminate its operations in the occupied territories. Officials are warning that Tel Aviv’s shuttering of UNRWA will have catastrophic consequences for millions of civilians relying on their support.
On Thursday, the New York Times explained, “If Israeli authorities enforce the new laws, UN officials are warning that no other group will be able to replace UNRWA and that its crucial humanitarian operations in Gaza will grind to a halt at a moment when experts say famine is threatening parts of the territory.”
The report adds, “UN officials say they are preparing to shutter UNRWA operations in both Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.”
UNRWA was established in 1949 following the Nakba, or creation of the Israel state, that left hundreds of thousands of Palestinians ethnically cleansed from their villages and forced into refugee camps. Since October 7, 2023, UNRWA has served as the main lifeline for millions of Palestinians in Gaza who are displaced from their homes and on the brink of starvation.
As Haaretz explained, “In Gaza, UNRWA is the only organization with the manpower and infrastructure to provide humanitarian and medical aid, along with other essential services.”
Top Israeli officials have demanded a full end of aid transfers into Gaza, putting Tel Aviv at odds with UNRWA. After Israel released a series of unproven allegations that UNRWA was involved in the October 7 attack, the Knesset passed laws that effectively ban the agency.
The ban on UNRWA is scheduled to take effect later this month.
“It would be a massive impact on an already catastrophic situation,” said Jamie McGoldrick, a former UN official who oversaw aid distribution in Gaza and the West Bank. “If that is what the Israeli intention is — to remove any ability for us to save lives — you have to question what is the thinking and what is the end goal?”
While the Joe Biden administration has asked Israel not to enforce the ban on UNRWA, Tel Aviv has routinely ignored the White House’s demands to allow more aid into Gaza. During that period, where Tel Aviv was openly defying Washington’s commands, the US provided Israel with $22 billion in military aid.
Kyle Anzalone is the opinion editor of Antiwar.com and news editor of the Libertarian Institute. He hosts The Kyle Anzalone Show and is co-host of Conflicts of Interest with Connor Freeman.
The worst GENOCIDE in 80 years and almost nobody is doing anything!
Europe as a continent can bring down US if they want to…!
That’s like saying Latin America or United Africa can do the same…
I’m European and used to be pan-Europeanist, however the reality is that each people speaks a different language and has often divergent interests, so unifying is a huge challenge, more so when the US oligarchs own all that matters in Europe nowadays (Russia excepted).
Not quite apples and apples comparison…!
So the European Union is a symbolic name Like the US…! Europe needs a strong country to lead and coherent ethnics to resist against US…!
It's quite apples and apples comparison. Especially as the EU has been revealed to be only the name of the US colonial administration for Europe and not at all anything near to the illusions raised in 1999. Anyway, most people don't speak English or any other lingua franca fluently enough and that keeps Europe divided in many segments. I can theoretically go to Germany and work and live there… but I'd have to learn German, fine if that's a life project but not for a temporary job. If then I move to a job in Netherlands I have to learn Dutch, if then I find a better job (or any job) in Milan, I'll have to learn Italian, and so on.
It's not like moving from New York to Los Angeles… or from Mexico to Buenos Aires… or from Morocco to Oman. If people don't move and get mixed, there's no unity.
You mention that "Europe needs a strong country to lead". Debatable, the USA as federation was not made by any single stronger country but by overcoming the relative weakness of its 13 founding members, none of which was the single leader, right? In any case that has been the anathema for Britain since the days of the pirates or even before: London's "splendid isolation" always sought to keep Europe divided and weaken the strongest European power, first the Habsburgs, then France, then Germany and most recently the USSR/Russia. The whole European modern history is shapen by that British enemity to any European strong power and thus semblance of unity.
The end result? The Brexit catastrophe.
The Brexit was mainly done to kill European Unity…!
It shouldn’t have that effect, really. Britain was more of an obstacle inside the EU than outside it. Now Britain is Britain’s problem only.
And why would they do that?
You're right. The Europeans are not smart enough to recognize that the US is not their friend. Kind of like the Israelis are not our friend. There is a lot of stupidity in the world.
Ethnically cleansing a population of millions by starvation in order to take their land. Nothing could be clearer: our entire wealth elite is a criminal class of the lowest order. They will stop at nothing to secure and advance their property and pleasure.
I didn’t know they were even still operating in Gaza. I would’ve donated again.
Officials are warning that Netanyahu’s Israeli government shuttering UN aid distribution will have catastrophic consequences for millions of civilians in Gaza.
But zionists don't care. What they want is to exterminate the Palestinian people in Gaza and grab their land and gas resources off-shore.
That's what happens when criminals are in power.
Israel axing UNRWA "would 'massive[ly] impact…an already catastrophic situation,' said Jamie McGoldrick, former UN official who oversaw aid distribution in Gaza and…West Bank. 'If that is what the Israeli intention is'"-
Berserk Israel diplomat tasered after lunging at McGoldrick's throat…
…claims 'self-defense' from 'dirty antisemitic lie that noble among nations Israel would ever intentionally use starvation to exterminate the subhuman Hamas-loving guilty Gazan scum infesting our God-given land.'