Israel officially notified the United Nations that it canceled the agreement governing its relations. The UN’s main aid agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) This has been the case since 1967, the country’s foreign ministry said on Monday.

Last month, Israeli parliament passes law banning UNRWA from operating in Israel and preventing Israeli authorities from cooperating with the organization, which provides aid and education services to millions of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.

Israel has long criticized UNRWA, which was established after the 1948 war that broke out when the state of Israel was established, accusing it of anti-Israeli bias and saying it perpetuates the conflict by keeping Palestinians together. permanent refugee status

The organization said that the organization had deeply infiltrated Hamas in Gaza since the start of the Gaza war in October last year, and accused some of its personnel of taking part in the attack on Israel on October 7.

The law has alarmed the United Nations and some of Israel’s Western allies, who fear it will worsen the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where Israel has been fighting Hamas militants for a year. The ban does not cover operations in Palestinian territory or elsewhere.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said in a statement: “Despite the overwhelming evidence we presented to the UN highlighting how Hamas infiltrated UNRWA, the UN has done nothing to address this reality.”

The legislation does not directly ban UNRWA’s operations in the West Bank and Gaza; Both are considered outside the state of Israel but under Israeli occupation under international law.

But this will seriously impact Israel’s ability to work in these areas, and there is deep alarm among aid groups and many of Israel’s partners.

The Israeli foreign ministry said that the activities of other international organizations would be expanded and “preparations will be made to terminate the connection with UNRWA and increase alternatives to UNRWA.”