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The United States has officially defended Israel’s right to block the United Nations’ Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, from operating in Gaza.
Some shit you should know before you read: Back in 2024, Israel enacted a law banning the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) from operating within its territory, citing national security concerns. The Israeli government alleges that at least 19 UNRWA staff members were involved in the October 7 attacks and later claimed that over 100 staff in Gaza were affiliated with Hamas (Internal UNRWA investigation found 9 staff members “may have been involved” in October 7th attacks). Israeli officials argue the ban was necessary to prevent terrorist infiltration under the guise of humanitarian work and to protect civilians from future attacks. Critics argue that Israel has not provided sufficient evidence to back up their claims and that the ban is part of a larger attempt to dismantle UNRWA entirely, worsen the situation in Gaza, and undermine international law that protects their right of return.
What’s going on now: During a hearing at the ICJ, the US defended Israel’s right to determine which humanitarian organizations can operate in Palestinian territories, arguing that international law does not force Israel to allow a specific agency like UNRWA to operate. Representing the US, State Department legal adviser Joshua Simmons stated, “An occupational power retains a margin of appreciation concerning which relief schemes to permit.” He added that even if an organization is “an impartial humanitarian organization, and even if it is a major actor, occupation law does not compel an occupational power to allow and facilitate that specific actor’s relief operations.”
Simmons also highlighted Israel’s concerns about UNRWA’s alleged ties to Hamas, noting that those concerns are legitimate grounds for limiting the agency’s access.
This comes as UN and Palestinian representatives at the hearings accused Israel of violating international law by blocking humanitarian aid from entering Gaza. While the U.S. acknowledged that Israel has a legal obligation to ensure aid reaches civilians, it argued that the assistance doesn’t have to be delivered through UNRWA.
