MOSCOW, January 27. /TASS/. Israel will not allow the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to operate in the Gaza Strip, Israeli Ambassador to Russia Simona Halperin told TASS.
"Israel has been working with and helping UN and other international development organizations that operate in Judea and Samaria (one of Israel’s seven administrative divisions - TASS), also known as the West Bank, and we will be ready to help, cooperate with and allow the United Nations and other international organizations, world countries and countries of the region to work in the Gaza Strip after the war. But I want to stress that we will never work with any organization linked to Hamas," she said. "I can say that we will not work with UNRWA."
"No one should work with UNRWA, but it’s okay to work with other organizations focused on Gaza’s restoration once Hamas no longer rules the enclave and when we are sure that this is really in the interests of its population and truly aimed at the restoration of education, medicine, housing," she stressed.
She recalled that the Knesset, or Israel’s parliament, passed a law banning UNRWA’s activities. This law will go into effect in late January. According to the Israeli diplomat, her country has shared with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres documents on UNRWA activities, including a list with more than 100 agency employees who took part in the Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. These people are registered with Hamas as battalion commanders, she added.