After Israel banned UNRWA's operations within Israel and severed ties with the U.N. agency, Misbar presents a roundup of the top Israeli disinformation campaigns targeting UNRWA. These systematic campaigns prominently featured attempts to associate the agency with “terrorism.” Expert interviews concluded that Israeli propaganda against UNRWA had been ongoing long before October 7.
Israel Bans and Cuts Ties With UNRWA Agency
On October 28, Israel's parliament voted to bar the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) from Israel within 90 days, disregarding U.S. and international calls to preserve the largest provider of humanitarian aid to Palestinians.
In a 92-10 vote, the Knesset blocked UNRWA, which has operated in Israel since a 1967 treaty, from conducting “any activity” or offering services within Israel, including annexed East Jerusalem, Gaza, and the West Bank.
Israeli lawmakers also voted to declare UNRWA a “terror group,” effectively ending any direct interactions between the agency and Israel.
On November 4, Israel formally notified the United Nations of its intent to cut all ties with UNRWA. Aid organizations warn this act will worsen the humanitarian crisis in Palestine.
The legislation is expected to close UNRWA’s East Jerusalem headquarters and block aid from reaching Gaza via Rafah. Ending diplomatic ties would prevent Israel from issuing entry and work permits to foreign UNRWA staff and halt coordination with the Israeli military for aid entry.
UNRWA, founded in 1949, began its mission by aiding hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced following the 1948 war. The agency nowadays supports millions of Palestinians across Israel and nearby countries, with many still residing in refugee camps. In Gaza only, UNRWA has 13,000 staff.
How Did the U.N. React to Israel’s Ban Legalization?
The U.N. condemned the bills passed by Israel, with top officials, including Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, expressing strong disapproval.
Guterres emphasized that UNRWA's role in aid delivery is critical and warned that the ban would bring “devastating consequences.”
Joyce Msuya, acting head of the U.N. aid coordination office, called the move “dangerous and outrageous,” while UNRWA’s Philippe Lazzarini asserted that the bills would “increase the suffering of the Palestinians” and amount to “collective punishment.”
OHCHR spokesperson Jeremy Laurence warned that aid deliveries would “grind to a halt” without UNRWA, while World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus labeled the situation “intolerable.”
UNICEF chief Catherine Russell stressed UNRWA's crucial role in providing lifesaving aid to Palestinian children and families, stating that the decision risks “the lives and futures of Palestinian children.”
James Elder, a UNICEF representative in the region, condemned the action, saying the bill is “a new way has been found to kill children.”
Reuters reported that the United Nations clarified in a letter that it holds no responsibility to replace UNRWA’s operations in Gaza and the West Bank, placing the problem on Israel instead.
“I would note, as a general point, that it is not our responsibility to replace UNRWA, nor do we have the capacity to do so,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' chef de cabinet, Courtenay Rattray, wrote to a senior Israeli foreign affairs official.
U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric later clarified this stance to reporters, stating, “If UNRWA is no longer able to operate it would be the responsibility of the Israeli authorities to replace its services that it delivers to civilians, in education, in health, and all sorts of other areas.”
Round-Up of Top Israeli Propaganda Against UNRWA Since October 7
Since the beginning of the Israeli war on Gaza, Israeli officials and government social media accounts have been working to link UNRWA with the Palestinian resistance, aiming to implicate the agency in the “attacks on Israel” to undermine the agency’s role.
For instance, Israel’s new military minister, Israel Katz, posted a statement on X on January 27, commending the U.S. decision to cut funding for UNRWA. Katz argued that the agency’s ongoing operations sustain the refugee issue and hinder peace efforts. He further accused UNRWA of serving as “a civilian arm of Hamas” in Gaza.
Moreover, Misbar found an active role of Israeli parties, media, and non-governmental organizations in spreading claims against UNRWA without presenting credible evidence.
Israeli military and Israeli Foreign Ministry officials have posted a surge of content targeting United Nations organizations, particularly UNRWA.
Moreover, it appears that organizations claiming to be independent and non-governmental are also contributing to the Israeli-led campaign against UNRWA in various ways.
Israel Alleges UNRWA Workers Participated in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood
Israel repeatedly claimed that many UNRWA workers participated in the October 7 operation in southern Israel. Israeli officials and government accounts amplified this narrative, spreading disinformation to make the false claim more believable to the global audience.
In March 2024, Israel's official X account posted two videos of alleged call recordings from UNRWA workers, with a caption stating, “Breaking: incriminating evidence revealing the involvement of UNRWA teachers in the October 7th massacre.”
The Israeli accounts further alleged that over 450 UNRWA workers belong to “terrorist organizations.”
Misbar investigated these claims and uncovered several discrepancies, proving that Israel had manipulated the recordings.
On August 5, 2024, the U.N. concluded an investigation by the U.N. Office of Oversight Services (OIOS), launched earlier in the year following Israeli allegations that several UNRWA workers participated in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.
U.N. Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq shared the findings with journalists in New York.
The investigation focused on 19 UNRWA staff members accused of involvement in the attacks.
In one case, OIOS found no evidence to support the Israeli claim. In nine other cases, the evidence was insufficient to confirm any involvement.
For the remaining nine cases, the evidence gathered by OIOS suggested that the staff members “may have been involved in the October 7 attacks,” and UNRWA terminated their contracts.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini announced that UNRWA will end contracts with these staff members.
“I have decided that in the case of these remaining nine staff members, they cannot work for UNRWA. All contracts of these staff members will be terminated in the interest of the Agency,” Philippe Lazzarini said.
Mr. Haq also emphasized that much of the information provided by Israeli officials had remained in Israeli custody, preventing OIOS from independently verifying most of the evidence.
Israel Claims Palestinian Resistance Uses UNRWA Sites as Military Bases
Israel's military has repeatedly targeted UNRWA facilities, including schools turned shelters, alleging that Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad members use these sites as military bases to justify attacks.
Following attacks that killed numerous civilians, Misbar's team found that in several instances, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) issued identical statements claiming the Palestinian resistance uses these sites to attack Israel.
Misbar's team investigated the aftermath of Israeli attacks on UNRWA schools and, in each case, confirmed that civilians, mainly women and children, made up the majority of the fatalities.
Misbar’s team investigated photos and videos shared immediately after attacks on UNRWA schools and found no evidence supporting the IOF’s claims of targeting Hamas or Islamic Jihad members.
Media reports and eyewitness accounts confirmed that Israeli airstrikes primarily killed civilians. In one instance, Israel bombed a toy store within a UNRWA school in Al-Shati camp, resulting in civilian casualties.
In another attack, the Israeli military misused images and names of deceased “fighters,” presenting names of individuals who were not present at the site.
UNRWA: ‘Claims Versus Facts’
UNRWA released reports titled "UNRWA: Claims Versus Facts" to counter disinformation, debunking Israeli propaganda aimed at discrediting the agency and falsely associating it with “terrorism.”
Despite UNRWA’s clarifications, Israeli officials frequently ignore these facts and continue to spread unfounded claims against the agency.
For example, UNRWA responded to a viral Israeli claim alleging that around 10% of its Gaza staff (approximately 1,200 individuals) have links to Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
UNRWA clarified that it conducts thorough reference checks for all recruits and annually shares detailed records with host authorities in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and the Palestinian Authority. This includes names, employee numbers, and roles.
For the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza, these records are also shared with Israel as the occupying power. This ensures that Israel and other host states are always fully informed about all UNRWA staff members.
Did the Israeli Campaign Against UNRWA Start After the October 7 Operation? Experts Answer
Misbar interviewed Mr. Ali Huwaidi, the head of the committee at the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad and director of the Association 302 to Defend Refugees' Rights, regarding his view on Israel’s propaganda campaign against UNRWA.
Misbar asked Huwaidi whether the campaign was systematic from the start or if Israel seized the opportunity to undermine the agency, taking advantage of a moment when it could do so without facing significant international intervention.
Huwaidi stated, “It is wrong to say that Israel's propaganda campaign started after October 7. This propaganda against UNRWA has been ongoing for decades, and its goal is to dismantle the Palestinian refugee issue by any means.”
He explained that Israel aims to absolve itself of the Nakba crime, and dismantling UNRWA is part of its strategy to pressure the termination of the refugee issue.
According to Huwaidi, Israel is actively working to erase U.N. Resolution 194, which legitimizes the agency's existence and its role in the United Nations.
Huwaidi described the Israeli propaganda as “systematic from the beginning, aiming to undermine UNRWA, the only witness to the Palestinian refugee cause.”
When asked if any international organization could replace UNRWA's work, Huwaidi said, “It would be difficult to replace the agency if its operations were halted.”
He pointed out that UNRWA not only maintains crucial infrastructure, including its workforce, educational, health, and community centers, but also employs many individuals who work under its umbrella.
Misbar also interviewed Dr. Tarek Hamoud, an assistant professor of political science at Lusail University in Qatar and General Director of the Palestinian Return Centre (PRC) in London, to discuss his stance on the Israeli propaganda targeting UNRWA.
Hamoud explained that Israel has never had a cooperative or friendly relationship with UNRWA, viewing the agency as a threat since its creation.
He noted that while UNRWA’s mandate allows it to provide relief to internally displaced Palestinians, Israel has consistently blocked these efforts.
Over the years, Israel has worked to undermine the agency's operations in refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza, and abroad, including pressuring donor countries to reduce funding.
Hamoud emphasized that Israel is exploiting the current war to further demonize the agency, with the Israeli far-right leadership playing a significant role in pushing this agenda.
Hamoud also clarified that during Trump’s presidency, “There was an attempt to dissolve UNRWA, although it ultimately failed.”
He argued that efforts to dismantle the agency aim to erase the international documentation of Palestinian refugees' plight, which is crucial for understanding the origins of Israel's establishment.
The absence of UNRWA, Dr. Tarek added, would significantly “advance the Israeli agenda to settle the refugee issue based on current realities in host countries, which poses a fundamental threat to Palestinian rights.”
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