“Israel shares a convoluted and ambivalent relationship with UNRWA [United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East],” a civil administration source told Al-Monitor, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “On one hand, Israel views UNRWA as an entity that serves to camouflage Hamas terror acts, since Hamas exploits UNRWA facilities for its own purposes. On the other hand, people in Israel understand that without the agency, the entire Strip would become a humanitarian disaster site.”
The UNRWA dilemma has haunted Israel since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007. The main question is how does one deal with an organization that averts a total collapse of the Gaza Strip, thus allowing Hamas to direct its resources toward terrorism instead of toward humanitarian aid for residents?
