Israeli protesters urge break-up of UN Palestinian agency
A few dozen Israelis protested outside the Jerusalem office of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) on Wednesday, calling for its dismantling after Israel accused some staff of colluding with Hamas.
"UNRWA has allowed terrorism," said American-Israeli protester Allison Epstein. "It is not an organisation for peace. It has taught generations of Palestinians to hate Jews. It's time to dismantle it."
Around her in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, protesters chanted: "UNRWA is Hamas! Hamas is UNRWA!".
Created in 1949, the agency employs around 30,000 people in the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
It has come under heavy criticism since Israel accused 12 of its Gaza staff of 13,000 of being implicated in the October 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel.
Multiple governments suspended their contributions to the agency, although several have since resumed payments.
The United Nations has launched both an internal and an independent investigation but has said Israel has not provided it with any evidence to support the claims against its staff.
Washington has said that UNRWA has an "absolutely indispensable role" to play in distributing aid in Gaza, where Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said the "entire population" is suffering "severe levels of acute food insecurity".
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini has complained that he has been blocked from entering Gaza, after Israel said he had made paperwork errors in his request.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has joined calls urging Israel to allow him in.
"They are playing an indispensable role in bringing relief to the afflicted civilian population in Gaza," Borrell said in social media message that also urged Israel to grant visas to other humanitarian workers.
