UN Chief Warns He May Refer Israel To World Court Over Actions Targeting UNRWA

UNITED NATIONS, Jan 13 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned Israeli leaders in a Jan. 8 letter that he may refer Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) if the government does not repeal laws targeting the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA and return assets and property it has seized.

In the letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Guterres said the United Nations "cannot remain indifferent to actions taken by Israel, which are in direct contravention of the obligations of Israel under international law. They must be reversed without delay."

"They must be reversed without delay," Guterres wrote.

Israel's parliament passed a law in October 2024 barring UNRWA from operating inside the country and forbidding officials from contacting the agency. Lawmakers amended the legislation last month to prohibit supplying electricity or water to UNRWA facilities. Israeli authorities also took control of UNRWA's East Jerusalem offices in December; the U.N. regards East Jerusalem as occupied territory, while Israel asserts sovereignty over the whole city.

Israel's U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon dismissed Guterres' warning on Tuesday, accusing UNRWA of being "marred by terrorism" and saying the secretary-general had ignored what he described as evidence of UNRWA staff involvement in attacks against Israel.

FILE PHOTO: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses the 80th United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S., September 23, 2025. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo

"We are not fazed by the Secretary-General's threats," Danon said. "Instead of dealing with the undeniable involvement of UNRWA personnel in terrorism, the Secretary-General chooses to threaten Israel."

UNRWA, the October 2023 Attack and the Humanitarian Context

UNRWA was created by the U.N. General Assembly in 1949 and provides food, health services and education to millions of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. The U.N. has said nine UNRWA staff may have been involved in the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and were dismissed. A Hamas commander in Lebanon who was killed by Israel in September was also found to have held a UNRWA position.

The U.N. has pledged to investigate all allegations and says it has repeatedly asked Israel for evidence, which it says has not been produced. The Oct. 7 attack set off the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Top U.N. officials and the U.N. Security Council have described UNRWA as central to the humanitarian response in Gaza, where the nearly two-year conflict has produced a catastrophic humanitarian situation.

Legal Context: The International Court Of Justice

In October, the ICJ — the U.N.'s principal judicial organ — issued an advisory opinion saying Israel has an obligation to ensure Gaza's civilian population's basic needs are met. Advisory opinions carry legal and political weight but are not binding and the court has no direct enforcement power.

Guterres' letter signals a potential escalation of U.N. legal pressure on Israel if the measures affecting UNRWA are not reversed. The situation remains contentious, with Israeli authorities citing security concerns and the U.N. stressing protection of humanitarian operations and international law.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Bill Berkrot)