A United Nations Relief and Works Agency warehouse in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on Thursday, Jan. 23.
Photographer: Ahmad Salem/BloombergIsrael Bans UN Agency After Years of Tensions Over Gaza
Blocking UNRWA leaves Gaza’s aid workers scrambling to keep services running
Two weeks after a temporary truce in Gaza allowed more aid in, an Israeli ban risks disrupting the work of one of the main United Nations agencies supporting Palestinians there.
Israel’s High Court of Justice on Wednesday blocked a last-minute attempt to keep the UN Relief and Works Agency, or UNRWA, from being banned. The loss will leave aid workers scrambling to replace supplies and services provided by the 75-year-old organization.
UNRWA was asked to vacate offices in East Jerusalem and can no longer coordinate with Israeli officials, including to facilitate checkpoint clearance or organize safe passage for deliveries. But UNRWA's 13,000 mostly local staffers can continue to work in Gaza and the West Bank.