Former Israeli official Noga Arbell urges for ‘destruction of UNRWA’ in parliamentary discussion

During a discussion in the Israeli parliament on 4 January, Noga Arbell, a former official of the Israeli foreign ministry, vehemently declared, ‘It will be impossible to win the war if we do not destroy UNRWA, and this destruction must begin immediately.’ Arbell’s stark proclamation and her subsequent call for the dismantling of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) posited the agency as a strategic obstacle in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She framed UNRWA as a pivotal factor, criticising its transformation into a system that manages Palestinian affairs and potentially influences Israel’s stance. Several countries, including the US and the UK, suspended funding for the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) on Friday 26 January, in a move which has been condemned by Palestinian officials. The development came after Israel alleged that 12 out of the 30,000 employees at Unrwa were involved in the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on 7 October.