Israel on Friday stressed it will not collaborate with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNWRA), claiming the agency employs the terrorist group Hamas as teachers in Gaza.

“We are not going to fight UNRWA. But we will not coordinate and we will not engage with UNRWA until this thing is sorted out,” Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss said in a media briefing in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

“We hope the UN will do something about UNWRA, to make deep reforms in the organization which will make it professional and non-political,” he said.

The statements came after the UN General Assembly on Wednesday approved resolutions on an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and support for UNWRA operations.

Of the 193 UN member states, only Israel, the United States, Argentina, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay and Tonga refused to support the resolutions.

Fluss, however, said Israel will not meddle in the Philippines’ approach to the war between Israel and Hamas, which controls Gaza and was blamed by Israel for the deadly raid on the country’s southern border on 7 October 2023.

Aljazeera reported over 700 people were killed in Israel while 413 were dead in Gaza after it retaliated.

Ceasefire vs return of hostages

“The UN is calling for a ceasefire but we are calling for the return of the hostages,” Fluss said.

“We have 100 people that have been taken hostage by Hamas. Where in this resolution is the call to return these people home? You show me,” he said.

Fluss said the Israel Defense Forces submitted details on 66 Hamas members working in UNWRA schools in Gaza. He said a total of 100 Hamas members have infiltrated UNWRA.

“We are not going to make UNRWA leave. We are giving the message that UNRWA cannot be part of the solution. It is up to the UN to deal with it. The only thing we can do is our legislation,” Fluss said.

He said Hamas continues to push for a Middle East that is entirely composed of Muslim states, which is unlike the Jewish Israel.

“Hamas is not a political entity. It’s a terrorist organization. The Hamas Charter has stipulations for establishing Muslim states This has not changed,” Fluss said.

Israel has banned UNWRA personnel from entering the country through the non-certification of their IDs.

Despite its refusal to cooperate with UNWRA, Fluss said Israel will continue to work with other UN agencies like the UN World Food Programme and non-government organizations.

“We will continue engagement with other UN agencies and non-government organizations,” he said.

“We have done a massive vaccination campaign in Gaza. Israel also initiated a resolution with the UN for agriculture and entrepreneurship to benefit startups because we believe in innovation and collaboration,” Fluss said.