Despite all the (at first, shocking, but later predictable) reports about the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA)—including that Israeli hostages were held at one of its camps, and that its officials meet “regularly” with Hamas terrorists—Brussels has always kept the agency in its good books.
Donald Trump’s secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said towards the end of last week that while the broader United Nations will be involved in helping to shape upcoming events in the Middle East, “UNRWA’s not going to play any role in it.” He added that the agency has become a “subsidiary of Hamas.”
BREAKING: Secretary of State Marco Rubio announces that UNRWA will be completely excluded from Gaza aid distribution.
“UNWRA’s not going to play any role in it. UNRWA became a subsidiary of Hamas.”
This, of course, is much more significant than any amount of support given by the EU, since most of the power in this situation—among others—currently lies in Trump’s hands. It is no surprise, then, that UNRWA boss Philippe Lazzarini spent last week trying to clear the agency’s name by pointing to an International Court of Justice ruling.
Yesterday's unambiguous & near unanimous ruling by the International Court of Justice stated that claims about UNRWA being infiltrated by Hamas are not substantiated, nor are allegations that UNRWA is not a neutral organisation.
British writer Jake Wallis Simons praised Rubio for “telling it as it is” on UNRWA, adding: “How shameful for a U.N. agency to have become a jihadi organisation!”
The U.S. Department of State also last week described UNRWA as having a “deep entanglement with and material support for Hamas terrorism.”
Meanwhile, Brussels continues to look the other way, with European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib tellingPolitico on Monday that the EU will not yet drop its threat of sanctions against Israel because “the past two years show us that we need to have leverage.”
Sometimes we have to push our own friends.
Michael Curzon is a news writer for europeanconservative.com based in England’s Midlands. He is also Editor of Bournbrook Magazine, which he founded in 2019, and previously wrote for London’s Express Online. His Twitter handle is @MichaelCurzon_.
