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UNRWA Still Operating Despite Israel Ban

Baku, TurkicWorld

The UN Palestinian relief agency UNRWA is continuing to deliver assistance and services in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem on Thursday, said UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric as a ban on the agency in Israel came into effect.

Israel cut ties with the UN agency after accusing it of providing cover for Hamas militants, TurkicWorld reports referencing Al-Awsat.

UNRWA is banned from operating on Israeli soil, and contact between it and Israeli officials will also be forbidden.

UNRWA has provided support for Palestinian refugees around the Middle East for more than 70 years, but has long clashed with Israeli officials, who have repeatedly accused it of undermining the country's security.

The hostility intensified following Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, with accusations that UNRWA employees took part in the assault.

After the law came into effect, the Norwegian government said Thursday it would contribute $24 million to the UN agency.

"Gaza is in ruins, and UNRWA's help is more necessary than ever," Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said.

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