Israel has asked the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees to cease operations and leave all its premises in Jerusalem by January 30.
Israel’s UN ambassador, Danny Danon stated this in a letter addressed to United Nations chief, Antonio Guterres, affirming that the timelines was set in a controversial Israeli legislation.
Ignoring international concern, Israeli lawmakers passed legislation that bars the agency, UNRWA, from operating in Israel and east Jerusalem, the sector of the city annexed by Israel following the 1967 Six Day War.
The development followed criticism from Israel which has escalated since the start of the war, including claims that a dozen of its 13,000 Gaza employees were involved in the deadly October 7, 2023, assault by Hamas.
UNRWA is considered the backbone of humanitarian operations for Palestinians, providing aid to about six million Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria.
While East Jerusalem has long been an administrative hub for the agency, it also runs schools and health clinics in the sector.
Israel has also passed a law that prohibits contact between Israeli officials and UNRWA, but its parliament has not technically banned the agency from operating in Gaza or the West Bank.
Responding via X on Friday, UNRWA Chief, Philippe Lazzarini warned that preventing the agency from operating might sabotage the Gaza ceasefire, failing once again hopes of people who have gone through unspeakable suffering.