NNA - The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday "strongly warned against any attempts to dismantle or diminish" the operations and mandate of the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA after Israel passed a law banning its operations.

In a statement adopted by consensus, the 15-member body expressed grave concern over the legislation adopted by the Israeli parliament on Monday, which is due to come into effect in 90 days and has sparked international condemnation.

The council urged Israel "to abide by its international obligations, respect the privileges and immunities of UNRWA and live up to its responsibility to allow and facilitate full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian assistance in all its forms into and throughout the entire Gaza Strip."

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said Israel's ban on UNRWA, if implemented, would violate international law, the founding U.N. Charter and a 1946 U.N. convention on the diplomatic privileges and immunities granted to U.N. operations.

UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini warned that the organization's aid operations in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip were now at risk of collapse because of the new law.

The Security Council "underscored that UNRWA remains the backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza" and said that no other organization can replace UNRWA's ability to serve Palestinians in need of life-saving humanitarian assistance. -- Reuters

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