The Knesset has approved a ban on the operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) within Israel and the territories it controls. Israel insists that UNRWA maintains connections with radical groups, including Hamas, and has provided evidence of this connection to the UN.

The passed bills prohibit any direct or indirect activities of UNRWA in Israel and annul an agreement in effect since 1967, which excluded official contacts between Israeli agencies and the organization. Yoel Edelstein, chairman of the Knesset Defense Committee, stated that UNRWA’s activities only exacerbate the refugee issue, creating conditions for its persistence rather than resolution.

UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini described the decision as a «dangerous precedent,» violating Israel’s international obligations and the UN Charter, and warned that it would worsen the humanitarian crisis.

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