The Trump administration has reversed the Biden administration’s endorsement of the United Nations agency helping Palestinian refugees.
Israel will ban the agency known as UNRWA in areas under sovereign Israeli control starting Thursday. The US Congress has already cut funding for UNRWA until March, reported The Associated Press.
The US said Tuesday it supports Israel’s decision to close UNRWA’s office in Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem, and said the agency’s alleged ties to Hamas have “tainted” its work and credibility.
US deputy Ambassador Dorothy Shea told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Tuesday that there are other humanitarian organizations in Gaza with the experience and expertise to do UNRWA’s job.
“What is needed is a nuanced discussion about how we can ensure that there is no interruption in the delivery of humanitarian aid and essential services,” Shea said.