Israel will have to take over the duty of providing humanitarian services to people in Gaza and the West Bank if it bans the activities of UNRWA, United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Wednesday.
"If UNRWA is no longer able to operate, it would be the responsibility of the Israeli authorities to replace its services that it delivers to civilians in education, in health and all sorts of other areas," Dujarric said at a press briefing.
In October, the Israeli parliament passed two bills banning the agency from operating in Israel and barring Israeli authorities from contacting UNRWA, after accusing some of its staff of having ties to Palestinian movement Hamas.
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini warned that the move effectively delegitimized the agency's efforts to provide aid to Palestinian refugees.