As Israel intensifies its campaign to reveal UNRWA's alleged complicity in terrorist activities, including its purported role in the October 7 attacks, it has become evident that the UN agency maintains a significant presence in Gaza and continues to operate in coordination with the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT).
Over the next several days, an extensive vaccination drive in Gaza will take place, with aid organizations planning to introduce roughly 1.5 million polio vaccines into the area. Surprisingly, the agency tasked with administering these vaccinations is none other than UNRWA, the very organization accused of collaborating with Hamas.
Foreign reports suggest that Israel has consented to a humanitarian pause in hostilities across several areas of the Gaza Strip to facilitate the vaccination effort. Health officials in Gaza recently announced the arrival of the first batch of polio vaccines, which are now stored in specialized facilities.
The IDF confirmed that the shipment of polio vaccines, totaling 1.255 million doses, passed through the Kerem Shalom crossing. They further noted that the operation was coordinated with the UN and the World Health Organization, adding that local and international medical teams will administer the vaccinations in the coming days.
A delicate balance: Rejection and engagement
Government sources told Israel Hayom that while there's no dispute regarding UNRWA's alleged ties to Hamas, the agency still plays an irreplaceable role in certain sectors within Gaza, particularly in education where it has extensive infrastructure.
Consequently, UNRWA, which maintains detailed records of children in Gaza, was selected to oversee the crucial vaccinations amid concerns of a potential polio outbreak. However, military sources indicate that UNRWA's role in food distribution has diminished, though the IDF's Coordination for Government Activities in the Terrirtories (COGAT) unit continues to engage with the organization. Unit sources report that collaboration with UNRWA has been scaled back following revelations of the organization's staff involvement with Hamas.
Surprisingly, the fact that UNRWA remains a key player in Gaza ten months into the conflict, despite its exposed involvement in the October attacks, doesn't seem to significantly trouble Israel political leadership.
Under the National Security Council's oversight and approval, the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs is spearheading an online campaign aimed at exposing UNRWA's true nature to the world. An article published in the respected tech magazine WIRED detailed how the Israeli campaign seeks to unmask the agency and highlight its employees' alleged involvement in the October 7 attacks. The piece also suggested that the organization essentially serves as a civilian front for Hamas.
The campaign's primary objective is to sever UNRWA's financial lifeline from Western nations, with a focus on the United States. The effectiveness of this effort remains to be seen, but UNRWA's spokesperson appears deeply concerned about potential damage to funding sources and donations. In 2023, the organization received $32 million, a significant increase from the $5 million received the previous year.
Dr. Adi Schwartz from the Misgav Institute for National Security & Zionist Strategy and Ben-Gurion University, an expert on UNRWA's role in perpetuating the conflict, told Israel Hayom: "Israel has never made a strategic decision to completely sever ties with UNRWA. We won't achieve the comprehensive victory that the Prime Minister and IDF speak of without dismantling this organization. One of the war's key objectives was to neutralize Gaza as a threat to southern Israel. We must recognize that this goal is unattainable if we don't challenge the Palestinian narrative, address the refugee issue, and confront UNRWA head-on. If children in Gaza continue to attend UNRWA schools, what lasting impact will eliminating thousands of terrorists have?"
He added that "the evidence is clear for all to see, making this situation nothing short of scandalous. We have a Defense Minister, a government, a cabinet, and a National Security Council. In my view, this represents an ongoing failure - we need to develop alternatives to UNRWA's services. Why engage with them at all? It's crucial to understand: UNRWA is like a chameleon – yesterday they distributed food, today they're administering vaccines, and a month from now they'll insist on the need to pave roads in Gaza."
The clearest evidence of cooperation between Hamas and UNRWA emerged in late August when Hamas demanded in negotiations that the organization remain active in Gaza. Dr. Schwartz comments, "Hamas's insistence on UNRWA's continued presence is just one more piece of evidence among thousands pointing to their collaboration. That's why I reiterate – we cannot claim victory if UNRWA continues to operate, as this agency perpetuates the conflict. UNRWA must be removed from the equation for us to achieve a meaningful victory."
Knesset member calls for urgent review
Member of Knesset Yulia Malinovsky from Yisrael Beytenu is demanding an urgent hearing in the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee regarding the polio vaccination operation set to begin Sunday in the Gaza Strip through UNRWA. In her letter to the committee chairman, MK Yuli Edelstein, she writes the following: "As you know, last night journalist Shirit Avitan Cohen reported in Israel Hayom that the State of Israel has agreed to a humanitarian pause in Gaza for a polio vaccination campaign, with UNRWA designated as the leader of this operation. I must emphasize from the outset that it is inconceivable that a decision on a ceasefire, a decision so sensitive and significant for all citizens of Israel, would be made without an immediate discussion on this matter, with proper explanations provided."
In her letter, Malinovsky, who initiated the law to declare UNRWA a terrorist organization, highlights the problematic nature of the government's continued work with the agency whose personnel participated in the October 7 massacre. "As you know, UNRWA has been found multiple times during the war and up to this stage to be cooperating and directly and clearly assisting in its support of the terrorist organization Hamas.
"It is unacceptable that despite these facts known to everyone that UNRWA will be declared the chief coordinator of the drive," she wrote. "Beyond the fact that UNRWA workers take part in acts of terrorism, studies have proven that UNRWA has also presented distorted data to the UN on the humanitarian aid entering Gaza since the beginning of the war. Hence, it is inconceivable that despite these facts known to everyone, UNRWA will be declared the drive leader, and an in-depth discussion on this will not take place in the committee you head."
According to Malinovsky, decisions on pauses in fighting may endanger the forces in the Strip and may even allow Hamas an opportunity to move the hostages from place to place and delay the ability to return them. "It is inconceivable that the Knesset, the legislative authority, will not fulfill its purpose and maintain close parliamentary oversight over government decisions. Hence, even if the Knesset is currently in recess, it is necessary to hold an in-depth discussion on this issue, examine the implications of the decision, and oversee the work of the executive authority on this matter. Therefore, since the vaccination campaign will begin as early as this coming Sunday, I ask you to act as soon as possible to schedule a discussion on this issue in the committee you head, and the sooner the better."
Vaccination drive details
As part of the vaccination campaign, international organizations operating in the Gaza Strip will work to vaccinate hundreds of thousands of children against polio in three locations:
- Between September 1-3, 2024, vaccines will be given to children in central Gaza between 6:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
- Between September 4-6, 2024, vaccines will be given to children in southern Gaza between 6:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
- Between September 7-9, 2024, vaccines will be given to children in northern Gaza between 6:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
At the end of each regional vaccination drive, a situation assessment will be conducted regarding the area.
The international community's vaccination drive in the Gaza Strip will be carried out in coordination with the IDF through COGAT and the Southern Command, allowing the population to safely reach the medical centers where vaccinations will be administered.
