Does the end of the UNRWA herald the end of the international order?
Children attending recreational and psychosocial support activities at an UNRWA school in Jenin refugee camp, West Bank, 22 November 2023
Dan Steinbock writes in The Palestine Chronicle on 31 January 2026:
Last Friday, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said that the Qalandiya Training Center for hundreds of Palestinians in the West Bank could be closed within days by Israeli authorities. The Center is at risk of expropriation by Israeli authorities cooperating with the Messianic far-right Jewish settlers.
That’s why the Knesset has passed legislation banning the group from Israeli territory, barring Israeli officials from having contact with it, and shutting it off from Israeli electricity and water.
Qalandiya is a part of a far bigger puzzle, the Netanyahu cabinet’s effort to deport UNRWA along with the Palestinians from the occupied territories, to set the stage for their de jure incorporation in the pre-1967 Israel. This plan was accelerated after October 7, 2023.
From Nakba to UNRWA
In May 2024, after half a year of genocidal atrocities in Gaza, Israeli settlers launched several attacks on the headquarters of the UNRWA, setting fire to the perimeter of the building in East Jerusalem. The attacks came after months of far-right settler protests outside the building.
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Israeli Violations of International Law
As of January 2026, Israel is accused of violating several core tenets of international law through its military campaign and the ongoing attempt to dismantle UNRWA.
The Fourth Geneva Convention: According to Duty of Care (Articles 55 & 56), as the occupying power, Israel is legally obligated to ensure the food and medical supplies of the civilian population to the “fullest extent of the means available”. According to the Facilitation of Relief (Article 59), Israel must facilitate relief schemes for the occupied population. In October 2025, the ICJ ruled that Israel’s ban on UNRWA had already violated this obligation, as the agency is an “indispensable” provider that cannot be replaced on short notice.
The UN Charter: In view of Diplomatic Immunity (Article 105), the demolition of UNRWA’s East Jerusalem headquarters has been cited as a “blatant violation” of the inviolability of UN premises and assets. Furthermore, Duty of Cooperation (Article 2) deems that member states must give the UN “every assistance” in its actions. The ICJ found that Israel is not entitled to unilaterally decide on the presence of UN entities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
International Humanitarian Law (IHL): In view of proportionality and distinction, legal experts argue that Israel’s destruction of nearly 78% of Gaza’s structures and 94% of its hospitals is foreseeably excessive and violates the principle of proportionality in self-defense (jus ad bellum). Furthermore, Israel’s use of starvation as a weapon has led the ICJ and UN experts to conclude that blocking UNRWA and other aid has resulted in an “engineered famine,” violating the prohibition of using starvation as a method of warfare.