DEC 14, 2024 JLM 49°F 02:24 AM 07:24 PM EST
UNRWA shutters eastern Jerusalem headquarters

The agency's exit from Jerusalem is a "historic moment" and "the end of the era of disgrace," said Knesset member Dan Illouz

On Tuesday, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) announced the closure of its headquarters in eastern Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. The move, which marks a significant shift in its operations, comes in the wake of the Israeli government’s decision to sever ties with the agency and recent legislative action banning its activities within Israel.

According to Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hadath network, UNRWA is transferring key departments, including legal, communications, external relations and the commissioner-general’s office to locations outside Israel. The relocation affects Palestinian employees at the Sheikh Jarrah facility, who have been given 12 months to find alternative employment.

The closure follows the Israeli Knesset’s approval in October of a law prohibiting UNRWA’s operations in Israel.

Knesset member Dan Illouz, one of the law’s co-sponsors, celebrated UNRWA’s departure, stating, “The evacuation of UNRWA offices from Jerusalem is a historic moment. This is the end of the era of disgrace in which Israel allowed an anti-Israeli organization to operate in the heart of our capital.”

The Israeli legislation followed revelations that a number of UNRWA personnel were deeply involved in Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. UNRWA has consistently denied accusations of ties to terrorism, asserting its neutrality and humanitarian focus.

The agency was established in 1949 with the mission of providing education, healthcare and social services to Palestinian refugees across the Middle East. However, critics, including Israeli officials and watchdog groups, have long accused the agency of perpetuating the refugee issue decades after the Palestinians should have been settled, as well as of being thoroughly infiltrated by terrorist groups. 

David Mencer, the spokesman for the Public Diplomacy Directorate of the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, told reporters, “We have provided much evidence that UNRWA works hand-in-hand with Hamas,” referring to the Hamas server farm found under UNRWA’s Gaza headquarters, the UNRWA staffers who took part in the Oct. 7 massacre and the tunnels found underneath UNRWA schools in Gaza.

“UNRWA is useless at aid distribution. UNRWA is useless at education, except glorifying suicide bombers and encouraging Jew-killing, and Israel sees no role whatsoever for UNRWA in Gaza after this war ends,” he concluded.

 

Did you find this article interesting?
Comments
Aliza Circle 22:06 27.11.2024
It's about time the Israeli government would close UNRWA. They haven't done anything in their lives. They also helped Hamas on October 7th.
Gerald Flanders 16:12 27.11.2024
Let's now hope the employees of UNRWA cannot find any type of employment within Israel or the territories they control forcing them to move out of that area, they deserve nothing less.
Joe Cross 13:32 27.11.2024
It’s quite simple to me. There are no more refugees left. No refugees no need for the agency. They failed to resettle the real people after the war in the 40’s and their existence is no longer needed
ISIDRO LUIS-TOVAR 13:14 27.11.2024
Anony I agreed 🙏💯🇮🇱🩵❤️👍
[Anonymous] 12:28 27.11.2024
It’s so good to see the proper thing being done without being confused by some crazy world order philosophy.
[Anonymous] 12:28 27.11.2024
GREAT NEWS UNRWA IS DONE FOR!
Joseph Schwartz 11:58 27.11.2024
End UNRWA.
[Anonymous] 11:52 27.11.2024
Israel should go after some of the leaders of UNRWA!! Eliminate them !!!
Services 808 11:50 27.11.2024
Great news ! Bye UNRWA AM Yisrael Chai
[Anonymous] 11:50 27.11.2024
Brilliant move you don’t need enemies working within they should be defunded
To leave a comment, please log in

DISCOVER MORE

BREAKING NEWS Operation Northern Arrows Palestine = Hamas = ISIS ISRAEL - IRAN WAR "Iron Swords" - War in Gaza The Iran Threat War in Syria Trump against Harris 2024 Prime Minister Netanyahu 10/7 Hamas Massacres US 2024 Elections Jihadi Infiltration into the USA Trump-Vance 2024 Trump Administration Israeli "Pagers Operation" Biden Administration Idiots for Palestine Jihadi Infiltration into the West IDF Hostage Rescue "Operation Arnon" Kamala Harris 2024 Heroes of Israel Security Threat to America The Battle for Rafah Biblical Archaeology Operation: Long Arm in Yemen Stories from "Swords of Iron" Hamas The Bible Hezbollah Israeli Technology The 301 Daily War Analysis IRANGATE: Harris Collusion with Iran Muslim Persecution of Jews