Israel has passed two laws banning the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (Unrwa) from operating in Israel and in occupied areas under majority control.
Several countries, including the US, UK and Germany, have expressed deep concern about this move.
Before the vote, the US State Department said it played a “critical” role in distributing humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip. Almost the entire region’s population of more than two million people depends on aid and services from Unrwa.
Israel accuses Unrwa of complete complicity with Hamas, saying some of its members participated in the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
Unrwa has for decades provided a variety of services and support, including health care and education, to millions of Palestinians in Gaza.
The agency’s commissioner general, Philippe Lazzarini, said the decision would only deepen the suffering of the Palestinian people.
Since war broke out last year in Gaza, the agency’s presence on the ground has become a key part of efforts to deliver humanitarian goods to civilians there, almost all of whom are dependent on aid for survival.
Mr. Lazzarini said in a statement: “The Israeli parliament’s (Knesset) vote against Unrwa tonight is unprecedented and sets a dangerous precedent. It opposes the Charter of the United Nations and violates the duties of the State of Israel under international law.”
