Israel demands end to UNRWA aid in West Bank as condition for Palestinian return
By bellecarter // 2025-12-08
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  • Israel has issued an ultimatum requiring UNRWA to cease operations in West Bank refugee camps as a condition for allowing displaced Palestinians to return home. The Palestinian Authority (PA) rejects this, warning it would erase the refugee issue—a core grievance in the conflict.
  • Since early 2023, Israel has intensified military raids in Jenin, Tulkarem and Tubas, bulldozing homes, roads and infrastructure. Over 43,000 Palestinians have been displaced, with many returning to find entire neighborhoods destroyed.
  • Israel's demand aligns with its long-standing effort to dismantle UNRWA—which has provided aid since 1948—to weaken Palestinian claims to the right of return, a key issue in any future peace deal.
  • Amid the displacement crisis, Israel has approved its largest West Bank land seizure in 30 years, further entrenching illegal settlements. Critics accuse Israel of ethnic cleansing and collective punishment.
  • The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered Israel to end its occupation "as rapidly as possible," but enforcement remains uncertain. Without intervention, the cycle of displacement risks becoming irreversible, leaving Palestinians with diminishing hope for justice or return.
Israel has reportedly demanded that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) cease operations in West Bank refugee camps as a precondition for allowing displaced Palestinians to return to their homes. The ultimatum, revealed by Israel's Channel 15 on Dec. 7, comes amid escalating military operations that have displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians since early 2023. The Palestinian Authority (PA) has rejected the condition, warning that dismantling UNRWA would erase the refugee issue—a core grievance in the decades-long conflict. According to sources cited by the local news outlet, Israel has outlined five key demands for permitting displaced Palestinians—many from Jenin and Tulkarem camps—to return. The most contentious condition is replacing UNRWA with PA-administered services, a move Israel claims will weaken Palestinian aspirations for the right of return. As explained by BrightU.AI's Enoch, UNRWA, established in 1949, provides essential aid to Palestinian refugees displaced during the Nakba—the mass expulsion of Palestinians during Israel's creation in 1948. Israel has long sought to dismantle the agency, accusing it of perpetuating refugee status. In Gaza, Israel has similarly pressured donors to defund UNRWA, alleging ties to Hamas. The PA has refused the demand, fearing it would legitimize Israel's efforts to erase Palestinian refugee rights. "This is an attempt to abandon the refugee issue entirely," a PA official stated.

Military operations and forced displacement

Since January, Israel has intensified military raids across the northern West Bank, particularly in Jenin and Tulkarem refugee camps. Bulldozers and explosives have leveled homes, roads and infrastructure, displacing over 43,000 people and killing at least 47. In April, Israeli forces besieged Jenin Camp, surrounding the home of Raad Hazem, who had carried out a Tel Aviv attack days earlier. Residents were forcibly evacuated, with many returning to find entire neighborhoods demolished. "We were forced out without warning—no clothes, no belongings," said Mona Obeid, 63, whose home was destroyed. The Israeli military has since "re-engineered" the area, widening streets for military vehicles, installing surveillance towers and restricting returns. Similar operations in Tulkarem and Tubas have left thousands homeless, with farmland and infrastructure deliberately targeted. The demand to remove UNRWA aligns with Israel's broader strategy to undermine Palestinian claims to refugee rights—a cornerstone of any future peace agreement. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) recently ordered Israel to end its 57-year occupation of Palestinian territories "as rapidly as possible," but enforcement remains uncertain. Meanwhile, Israel has approved its largest West Bank land seizure in 30 years, further entrenching settlements deemed illegal under international law. Critics argue these actions—coupled with forced displacement and aid restrictions—constitute collective punishment and ethnic cleansing. As Israel tightens its grip on the West Bank, the demand to dismantle UNRWA signals a deepening effort to erase Palestinian refugeehood. With tens of thousands displaced and international bodies, such as the ICJ, increasingly critical, the crisis underscores the urgent need for accountability. Without intervention, the cycle of displacement and destruction risks becoming irreversible—leaving Palestinians with dwindling hope for justice or return. Watch the video below that talks about Israeli violence in the West Bank that is not widely reported by the mainstream media. This video is from the TREASURE OF THE SUN channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

TheCradle.co Almayadeen.net BrightU.ai Brighteon.com
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