Key facts
- Israeli forces seized the last UNRWA facility in occupied East Jerusalem.
- A UN official warned of a potential ceasefire collapse due to Israeli and Hamas actions.
- Israel has a history of withdrawing from UN bodies and accusing them of bias.
- The UNRWA agency has been a particular point of contention, with Israel alleging Hamas infiltration.
- The International Court of Justice has ruled Israel's ban on UNRWA unlawful.
Israeli forces seized the last remaining facility run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Unrwa, in occupied East Jerusalem, escalating tensions between Israel and the United Nations. This action follows a period of increasing acrimony, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other politicians accusing the global organization of bias against their country.
Israel has a history of withdrawing from UN bodies, often in coordination with the US, particularly during the Trump administration. Google searches for "Israel" and "UN" prominently feature sponsored content paid for by the Israeli government highlighting alleged UN bias. An Israel-linked organization, "UN Watch," was founded specifically to scrutinize alleged antisemitism within the UN.
Relations between Israel and the UN have been tense since Israel became a member in 1949. The phrase "Um-Shmum," popularized by Israel's founding Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, signifies contempt for the UN. The UN has played a role in mediating Arab-Israeli conflicts, including the 1967 and 1973 wars, through Security Council resolutions. However, a 1975 General Assembly resolution stating "Zionism is a form of racism" caused significant fury and was later repealed in 1991.
Palestine gained UN observer status in 2012, but full membership has been blocked by the US and Israel. In 2016, UN Security Council Resolution 2334 declared all Israeli settlements in occupied territories illegal, a move Israel called "shameful." Israel retaliated by cutting aid to Senegal, which had supported the resolution.
Israel's actions against UN agencies have intensified, particularly amid the conflict in Gaza. Israel quit Unesco in 2019, citing "manipulation by Israel's enemies" and continuous condemnation. The US also quit Unesco during the Trump administration, citing "anti-Israel bias," but rejoined under President Biden before quitting again in July 2025.
The seizure of the Unrwa facility is the latest in a series of actions against the agency, which Israel opposes because it implies a right of return for Palestinian refugees. Israel cut ties with Unrwa in January 2025, labeling it a terrorist group and banning it from Israel and occupied Palestine, with a government spokesperson claiming "Unrwa is riddled with Hamas operatives." This followed allegations that some Unrwa staff were involved in the October 7, 2023 attacks. An independent report by Colonna in April 2024 found Unrwa to be politically neutral, though Unrwa sacked nine staff after a UN investigation. Israel's ban on Unrwa was ruled unlawful by the International Court of Justice in October 2025. In January, Israel bulldozed Unrwa's headquarters in East Jerusalem, an act led by national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir. The outgoing commissioner-general of Unrwa stated that the "dismantlement of the agency has become an [Israeli] objective" and the campaign against it is "politically driven."
Israel also cut ties with the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in February 2025, accusing it of "ongoing and unrelenting institutional bias." The US quit the UNHRC the previous day. The UNHRC had criticized Israel's actions in Gaza, passing a resolution demanding an end to its blockade and "all other forms of collective punishment."