Controversial Laws Threaten UN Agency's Role in Gaza Amid Escalating Conflict

Israeli lawmakers approved laws casting the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, as a terror organization, barring its operations in Israel, and severing diplomatic ties. The move, affecting aid distribution during Gaza's crisis, risks worsening humanitarian issues. Allies and the UN expressed severe concerns over its implementation.

On Monday, Israeli lawmakers passed two contentious laws that could severely impact the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. The legislation bars the agency from operating in Israel, cutting diplomatic ties with it and potentially labeling it as a terror entity.

The newly passed laws, that have yet to take effect, signal a further deteriorating relationship between Israel and the United Nations. Global allies have raised alarms about the potential humanitarian impact on Palestinians, particularly amid the worsening crisis in Gaza.

UNRWA's head, Philippe Lazzarini, criticized the laws as a dangerous precedent in an ongoing effort to delegitimize the agency's essential work aiding millions of refugees across the region.

(With inputs from agencies.)