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The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) continues its operations in the Gaza Strip despite an Israeli directive banning its activities, an official confirmed on Thursday, according to the Anadolu news agency.
"I can tell you that UNRWA told us today, and we've been speaking to them by phone a number of times this morning that they are continuing to deliver assistance and services to the communities they're serving,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.
"UNRWA clinics across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are open. Meanwhile, the humanitarian operations in Gaza continues,” added Dujarric.
He stressed that UNRWA remains "committed" to maintaining its presence and fulfilling its humanitarian responsibilities.
UNRWA "will continue to deliver on its mandate," he reiterated.
The UN spokesman’s comments came as two Israeli laws banning the work of UNRWA officially took effect on Thursday.
Under the new legislation taking effect, UNRWA will be barred from operating in Jerusalem, and Israeli officials will be prohibited from engaging with the agency.
The Knesset approved the two laws banning UNRWA in October. A week after the Knesset passed the legislation, then-Foreign Minister Israel Katz officially announced the cancellation of the 1967 agreement between Israel and UNRWA which formed the legal basis for relations between the State of Israel and UNRWA.
Dujarric was asked on Wednesday whether the UN intends to comply with the two Israeli laws banning UNRWA and replied, “Let’s see what happens when the sun rises over Jerusalem tomorrow.”
Dujarric stated that the UN has “taken measures to ensure” the safety of UNRWA staff affected by the new laws, as well as to secure the agency’s premises and records.
UNRWA has long been criticized for its cooperation with Hamas and that criticism has criticism since Israel revealed a year ago that UNRWA staff participated in the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.
It then presented a dossier showing that the UNRWA workers who participated in the Hamas massacre kidnapped a woman, handed out ammunition and actively took part in the massacre at Kibbutz Be’eri, where 97 people were murdered.
Following the Israeli revelations, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the creation of a review group, headed by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, to look into the Israeli allegations.
The group, which released its report last April, said it found neutrality-related issues" in UNRWA but also claimed that Israel had yet to provide evidence for allegations that a significant number of its staff were members of terrorist organizations.