Israel Begins Severing Power, Water to UNRWA Facilities
The Jerusalem Governorate issued a statement condemning what it characterized as "a new escalation" aimed at undermining UNRWA's operational capacity and institutional foothold in the territory. Officials reported that Israeli authorities initiated the delivery of official notifications signaling imminent enforcement.
Israel's national electricity provider dispatched formal disconnection warnings to UNRWA facilities situated within the separation barrier zone, with a 15-day countdown now underway before power termination, the statement indicated.
The utilities cutoff stems from legislation that Israel's parliament, the Knesset, ratified on Dec. 31, 2025.
Water shutoff notices were simultaneously issued by Gihon, Israel's water utility company, targeting properties under UNRWA control in occupied East Jerusalem, Palestinian officials confirmed.
Initial evaluations revealed the enforcement threatens 10 UNRWA installations spanning educational facilities, medical clinics, vocational training sites, and administrative headquarters. The agency's primary operational hub in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood faces disconnection, the governorate stated.
Palestinian authorities cautioned that executing these Israeli directives would deliver devastating consequences to education, healthcare, and humanitarian assistance programs serving Palestinian refugee populations throughout East Jerusalem.
Last month, Israel's legislative body granted final authorization through second and third readings, with lawmakers approving the measure 59-7.
UNRWA reports that 48,000 children receive education at its institutions throughout the occupied West Bank. Israeli authorities have previously implemented comparable restrictive actions against the refugee agency.
During 2024, the Knesset enacted legislation prohibiting the UN agency's operations within Israeli territory, pointing to accusations that certain UNRWA staff participated in the Oct. 7, 2023, events—allegations the organization has categorically rejected.
United Nations officials have emphasized that UNRWA maintains rigorous neutrality protocols.
The UN General Assembly created UNRWA over seven decades ago to provide assistance to Palestinians displaced from their territories by force.
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