Fact check: After decades of the UNRWA enabling Hamas, Israel has finally run out of patience with them and rightfully designated them as a terrorist organization.

1. Summary of the results

The situation with UNRWA is more complex than the original statement suggests. While there is evidence of some UNRWA staff members having ties to Hamas, including UN Watch findings of 30 staff members supporting Hamas and Wall Street Journal reporting suggesting one in ten employees having ties to militant groups ^[1], an independent review found that Israel has not provided evidence of widespread Hamas affiliation. Only 9 staff members out of thousands were confirmed by UN investigation to have possible involvement in the October 7 attacks ^[2].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several crucial pieces of context are missing from the original statement:

• Historical Context: Rather than a sudden decision, Israel has been seeking to delegitimize UNRWA for years, with tensions predating the October 7, 2023 attacks ^[2].
• Legislative Action: The Knesset voted with 92 votes in favor to ban UNRWA, with Israeli lawmakers like Boaz Bismuth explicitly equating "UNRWA equals Hamas" ^[3].
• Immediate Response: When allegations emerged about staff involvement in October 7 attacks, UNRWA promptly terminated the implicated employees ^[2].
• Official Position: Prime Minister Netanyahu has consistently called for UNRWA's dismantling, and Israel has formally ended its cooperation agreement with the agency ^[4].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement contains several problematic elements:

• The phrase "finally run out of patience" is misleading as it suggests a sudden response, when in fact this has been a long-standing Israeli position ^[2].
• The statement presents UNRWA's alleged enabling of Hamas as an established fact, while evidence suggests a more nuanced reality with only a small number of confirmed cases among thousands of employees ^[2].
• The characterization of UNRWA as a "terrorist organization" appears to be more of a political position than a factual designation, as independent reviews have not supported claims of widespread Hamas infiltration ^[2].

Who benefits:

• Israeli government benefits from delegitimizing UNRWA as it aligns with their long-term political strategy ^[2].
• Palestinian militant groups could benefit from any infiltration of UNRWA, if proven true.
• Critics of Palestinian aid organizations benefit from narratives that question the legitimacy of these institutions.