Unrwa warns Israel ban likely to cause 'collapse' of Gaza aid work

The UN agency for supporting Palestinian refugees, Unrwa, said on Monday that Israel's ban on its operations would lead to the "collapse" of humanitarian work in the war-torn Gaza Strip.

"If this law is implemented, it would be likely to cause the collapse of the international humanitarian operation in the Gaza Strip - an operation of which Unrwa is the backbone," Jonathan Fowler, an Unrwa spokesman, told AFP.

Israel formally notified the UN of its decision to sever ties with Unrwa, the agency supporting Palestinian refugees on Monday, after lawmakers voted to ban the organisation.