The UN General Assembly on Friday endorsed the International Court of Justice’s view that allegations of Hamas infiltration of the agency are unsubstantiated, in a vote hailed by the organization’s chief as “a strong endorsement” of its neutrality.

Israel denounced the vote and its ambassador to the UN described UNRWA as “a hotbed of terrorism.”

“The UN General Assembly has given a strong endorsement to the ruling by the International Court of Justice that claims about UNRWA being infiltrated by Hamas are not substantiated, nor are allegations that UNRWA is not a neutral organization,” UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini wrote on X, adding that the vote is “an important sign of support for UNRWA from the overwhelming majority of the international community.”

Citing the ICJ, he said UNRWA is “the key humanitarian actor in the occupied Palestinian territory,” urging member states to support its work in Gaza and expand “critical public health and education services.”

As part of its recent non-binding advisory opinion, the ICJ also asserted that Israel is legally obligated to allow UNWRA to provide humanitarian aid in Gaza, and stated that the provision of aid to the Strip during the war there has been inadequate.

Lazzarini and other UN officials have touted UNRWA as the backbone of the aid response in Gaza, though Israel and the Trump administration have accused the agency of links with Hamas, allegations the agency has vigorously disputed. Israel has published evidence of UNRWA employees taking part in the October 7, 2023, onslaught and in taking and guarding hostages, as well as........

© The Times of Israel