Good morning. In January, Israel set out allegations that were seismic for the United Nations’ relief work in Gaza: staff working for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (Unrwa), it alleged, had taken part in the 7 October attacks by Hamas. Almost two months later, with funding for the agency paused by international donors including the UK and US, UN investigators are yet to receive evidence of Israel’s claims – and relations between the two sides are at an all-time low.
Yesterday, the Guardian’s Jason Burke reported a new story that sheds new light on the degree of antagonism. He revealed internal UN documents that allege a systematic campaign of obstruction and harassment by the Israeli military. A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said that it could not verify the claims. “We are not trying to harass them,” they said. “There is nothing we intentionally do to disturb their important work.”
