Why US and Israel want to cancel UNRWA

A week ago, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling on Israel to cooperate with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) following a raid by the Israeli army into the agency's headquarters in Jerusalem.

- Michael Jansen, Political Correspondent

A man flies a Palestinian flag atop the antenna of a destroyed building that was a clinic for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) at the Jabalia camp for Palestinian refugees in the northern Gaza Strip.

(Fidel/Agence France-Presse)

One hundred and thirty-nine states voted in favour, 12 opposed, including Israel and the US, and 19 abstained. UNRWA praised the resolution as "an important sign of support for [the agency] from the international community." Earlier this month the General Assembly renewed for three years UNRWA’s mandate despite objections from Israel and the US. Again, the vote was overwhelmingly in favour: 151 of the 175 nations attending the session supporting extension, IO against, and 14 abstentions. Those against were the “usual suspects” — Fiji, North Macedonia, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Tonga, Argentina, Hungary, Palau — all allied to Israel and the US. Abstainers included Europe's Germany, Italy, Latvia and Bulgaria.