The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, said that the attack on the agency was politically motivated to get rid of Palestinian refugees, following the Israeli Knesset’s vote to ban the agency.

Lazzarini stressed that "Israel must reverse its decision to ban the agency," while affirming at the same time that the Gaza Strip has been systematically destroyed.

Earlier, the UNRWA Commissioner-General said, "The Knesset's decision to ban our activities is unprecedented, sets a dangerous precedent, and contravenes the UN Charter."

Lazzarini considered the ban on the agency's services as "collective punishment because it is a decision that will deepen the suffering of the Palestinians, especially in the Gaza Strip, where people have been living for more than a year of hell."

The United Nations, the European Union, Arab countries and other Western countries also condemned the Israeli Knesset’s approval of the bill.

The Palestinian presidency announced on Tuesday its intention to take political action to discuss the possibility of holding a session of the UN Security Council, considering the UNRWA issue a political issue related to the right of return.

The Israeli law, which was approved by the Knesset on Monday evening in its second and third readings, stipulates that “UNRWA will not have any representation, will not provide any service, and will not carry out any activity, directly or indirectly, in the sovereign territory of the State of Israel.” The decision is expected to come into effect within 90 days.

According to the law, the 1967 agreement - which allowed UNRWA to operate in Israel - will be cancelled, the agency's activities in the country will cease, and any contact between Israeli officials and its employees will be prohibited.

Israel claims that UNRWA employees contributed to the October 7, 2023, Al-Aqsa Intifada, and that the agency's education system supports terrorism and hatred, which has since been proven false.

UNRWA also denied Israel's allegations, and the United Nations confirmed that the agency is neutral and focuses exclusively on supporting refugees.

For years, UNRWA has faced Israeli pressure in an attempt to dismantle it, and as part of the liquidation of the Palestinian cause, according to UN and Palestinian officials.

The Palestinians' need for UNRWA services is growing in light of the genocide that Israel has been waging on Gaza since October 7, 2023, which has left more than 144,000 martyrs and wounded, amid massive destruction and famine that has claimed the lives of dozens of children.