JERUSALEM, Oct 29: Israel faced an international backlash Tuesday after its parliament approved a bill banning the main United Nations aid agency for the devastated Gaza Strip, where deadly bombing continues.
Despite global concerns, including from Israel's ally the United States, lawmakers overwhelmingly voted to ban the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) from working in Israel and annexed east Jerusalem.
The lawmakers also passed a measure prohibiting Israeli officials from working with UNRWA and its employees.
Israel strictly controls all humanitarian aid shipments to Gaza, where its forces have been fighting Palestinian militant group Hamas for more than a year in a conflict that the Hamas-run territory's health ministry says has killed more than 43,000 Palestinians.
The danger faced by residents of the densely populated territory was underlined when an Israeli strike destroyed a five-storey residential block and killed more than 55 people, Gaza's civil defence agency said.
There was no immediate comment from Israel on the reported bombing in Beit Lahia, but the Israeli military said that its air and ground forces had continued operations in both Gaza and south Lebanon.
UNRWA has provided essential aid, schooling and healthcare across the Palestinian territories and to Palestinian refugees elsewhere for more than seven decades.
"There is a deep connection between the terrorist organisation (Hamas) and UNRWA, and Israel cannot put up with it," lawmaker Yuli Edelstein said in parliament as he presented the proposal.
But several of Israel's Western allies voiced disquiet at the ban, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer saying Britain was "gravely concerned".
Germany, which has been a staunch defender of Israel's security, warned it would "effectively make UNRWA's work in Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem impossible... jeopardising vital humanitarian aid for millions of people".
UN chief Antonio Guterres said the Israeli law could have "devastating consequences" if implemented and "would likely prevent UNRWA from continuing its essential work".
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini warned that the vote "sets a dangerous precedent". —AFP
