UN General Assembly Calls on Israel to Cooperate With UNRWA; Israel Rejects Resolution

The UN General Assembly on Friday approved a resolution calling on Israel to cooperate with United Nations bodies, led by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA). The resolution passed with 139 countries in favor, 12 opposed, and 19 abstentions.

The vote came amid heightened international debate over UNRWA’s role in Gaza and Israel’s long-standing accusations that the agency has been infiltrated by Hamas.

Bolivia Votes Against UNRWA Following Renewed Ties With Israel

In a notable development, Bolivia voted against the resolution and against UNRWA, marking the first such vote since Israel and Bolivia renewed diplomatic relations earlier this week. The renewal was formalized at a signing ceremony at the Israeli ambassador’s residence in Washington, where Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar signed an agreement with his Bolivian counterpart.

The shift followed a Reuters report this week stating that the Trump administration was considering imposing sanctions on UNRWA over alleged links to terrorist organizations.

Israel Condemns Resolution, Accuses UNRWA of Supporting Terrorism

Israel reacted sharply to the General Assembly’s decision.
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon said the resolution would not alter Israel’s stance.

“No resolution will change Israel’s position. UNRWA is an organization that supports terrorism, and its employees have taken part in kidnappings, murders, and the concealment of terrorists,” Danon said. “Israel will not cooperate with an organization that works against it.”

The Israeli Foreign Ministry also denounced the vote, describing the resolution as evidence of what it called the UN’s moral failure.

“The UN General Assembly’s call for Israel to cooperate with UNRWA-Hamas once again proves that this is a morally distorted body,” the ministry said.

The statement added that, according to Israel, UNRWA employees participated in the October 7 Hamas attack, allowed the use of agency facilities as command centers, weapons depots, and locations to hide hostages.

“The UN’s cynical political machine is doing everything it can to ignore this reality,” the ministry said, adding that Israel “salutes the countries that did not support this shameful decision.”

ICJ Opinion Cited; Israel Rejects Legal Conclusions

The resolution follows a recent advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN’s highest judicial body, which ruled that Israel has an obligation to ensure that the basic needs of Gaza’s civilian population are met. The ICJ stated that Israel must facilitate humanitarian assistance by UN agencies, including UNRWA, and said Israel had not sufficiently substantiated claims that a significant number of UNRWA employees are members of Hamas.

Israel categorically rejected the opinion, with the Foreign Ministry calling it a “predictable” and politically motivated move.

“This is another political attempt to impose measures against Israel under the guise of international law,” the ministry said.

Israel Moves to End UNRWA Operations in Its Territory

Despite mounting international pressure, the Knesset approved legislation about a year ago aimed at terminating UNRWA’s operations within Israeli territory. The law effectively ends UNRWA’s activities in East Jerusalem, where the agency has provided education, health, sanitation, and social services.

The bill was initiated by MK Boaz Bismuth, merged with a proposal by MK Sharren Haskel, and passed in second and third readings. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was notably absent from the plenum during the vote.

Shortly afterward, Israel formally notified UNRWA of the cancellation of the 1967 agreement that had served as the legal framework for relations between Israel and the agency. UNRWA personnel were instructed to vacate their offices in East Jerusalem within approximately one month of the notification.