An official in Tel Aviv said that the Netanyahu government does not support the immediate closure of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), “for fear of disasters that would force it to stop the war,” as it described it.

This came at a time when Israel intensified its raids, targeting defenseless civilians and medical and relief teams in several areas in the Gaza Strip, creating an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.

For its part, the Hebrew Broadcasting Authority reported that a military delegation from Israeli side pressured to replace UNRWA, during meetings in Washington.

UN agencies confirmed, in a joint statement on Wednesday, that stopping funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) leads to far-reaching humanitarian and human rights consequences in the occupied Palestinian territories and throughout the region.

The UN agencies added that countries' disavowal of funding UNRWA is dangerous and may lead to the collapse of the humanitarian system in Gaza, describing the consequences as catastrophic.

UNRWA, which provides vital aid to Palestinians in Gaza, faces additional challenges as a result of accusations against 12 of its employees of involvement in a Hamas attack on settlements surrounding the Gaza Strip last October.