The head of the UN Palestine Refugee Agency (UNRWA) on Monday called on his partners to fight Israeli attempts to dissolve the organization, which provides humanitarian assistance to Gaza and the entire region.

“Israel has long criticized the agency’s mandate. But now it seeks to put an end to UNRWA, ignoring the agency’s status as a UN entity supported by the vast majority of member states,” UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said at a meeting of the UNRWA advisory commission in Geneva.

If we don’t act against this, other UN bodies and international organizations will be next, further undermining our multilateral system.

Lazzarini told the agency was the subject of a “concerted effort” to dismantle it, i.e.even through legislative initiatives that threaten to evict the agency from its premises and designate UNRWA a terrorist organization.

Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu has been calling for the dissolution of UNRWA for years. accusing her of anti-Israel incitement. Last month, Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, approved the preliminary reading of a bill aimed at defining UNRWA as terrorist organization.

Israel’s diplomatic mission in Geneva on Monday rejected Lazarini’s claims.

“Allowing terrorist organizations to exploit or control other UN entities and international organizations to the extent that Hamas has infiltrated UNRWA will further undermine our multilateral system,” he said in a statement. “This is a real threat to our rules-based international order.”

“UNRWA is the backbone of humanitarian assistance in the Gaza Strip. The Agency will continue to play an important role in ensuring a viable transition from the ceasefire to the day after tomorrow.” @UNLazzarini reports to our Advisory Committee. https://t.co/nyePLIsxFg

— UNRWA Partners (@UNRWAPartners) June 24, 2024

Lazzarini also said that the agency, which provided essential assistance to Gazans during the eight-month Israeli offensive, was “reeling under the weight of incessant attacks.”

In Gaza, the agency paid a terrible price: 193 UNRWA staff were killed.

“More than 180 sites were damaged or destroyed, killing at least 500 people who sought protection from the United Nations. (…) Our facilities have been used for military purposes by Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups.”

Several countries have stopped funding UNRWA following Israeli accusations that some agency employees were involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the Gaza war. Since then, most donors have resumed funding.

Lazzarini said UNRWA continues to lack the necessary resources to carry out its mandate.

“The agency’s ability to operate beyond August will depend on member states committing the planned funds and making new contributions to the core budget,” he said.