The Israeli UN delegation, led by Ambassador Danny Danon, has for the first time screened a documentary film about the Palestinian relief agency UNRWA at United Nations headquarters. Dozens of diplomats attended the screening. The film, titled “UNraveling UNRWA,” examines the organization’s more than 75-year history, its development since its founding in 1949, and the criticism of its political and institutional role.
The documentary by Israeli director Duki Dror and researcher Ilan Sheizaf draws on rare archival material and interviews with former UNRWA officials, Israeli and Arab experts, and Palestinian interlocutors. Those interviewed include, among others, Peter Hansen, who led the organization from 1996 to 2005, and Scott Anderson, who oversaw UNRWA operations in the Gaza Strip following October 7, 2023.
The film received the award for best investigative documentary at the 2025 Haifa International Film Festival. It examines, among other things, the extent to which an organization originally founded as a temporary relief agency has become a permanent political actor.
Criticism of the organization following October 7
The screening takes place against the backdrop of the ongoing controversy surrounding UNRWA. Following the Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023, allegations emerged that members of the organization had been involved in the attacks. A United Nations investigation subsequently confirmed that there were indications of possible involvement on the part of several staff members; their employment was terminated as a result.
Israel further accuses UNRWA of having staff members with ties to terrorist organizations, and of allowing teaching materials in the organization’s schools to contain antisemitic content and the glorification of violence. The organization rejects the accusation of cooperating with Hamas, pointing to its humanitarian work and internal oversight mechanisms.
Ambassador Danon described UNRWA as a longstanding supporter of Hamas and stated that Israel had deliberately taken diplomatic steps in recent months to curtail the organization’s activities. The film screening, he said, was a further part of these efforts.
“After a long process, we are for the first time screening a documentary film about the organization’s activities before diplomats inside the United Nations building,” Danon said. “Slowly and resolutely, the truth is coming to light.”
The film is intended to give diplomats a more comprehensive insight into the history and operations of the relief agency. In doing so, Israel is bringing its criticism of UNRWA directly into the international body that decides on the organization’s mandate and future.
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