Israel bans UN relief agency UNRWA

Tel Aviv: The Israeli Parliament approved the bill to ban the United Nations Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA).

Israel also approved banning contacts between Israeli officials and the relief agency, cutting ties with UNRWA and declaring it a terrorist organization.

In this regard, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that UNRWA staff should be held accountable for terrorist activities against Israel.

Netanyahu stated that sustained humanitarian aid would remain available in Gaza now and in the future, but Israel did not receive a proposal to release four hostages in exchange for a 48-hour ceasefire.

In its response to the Israeli move to ban, UNRWA said that the ban on the organization will deepen the suffering of Palestinians, and the hardships of the people of Gaza will increase enormously.

The United States expressed its concern over Israel's ban on the UN agency UNRWA, while the United Kingdom also condemned the Israeli ban as wrong.

While strongly condemning the decision of the Israeli parliament to ban the United Nations relief agency, Palestine rejected the ban altogether.