The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates denounced, in a statement, a Knesset (Parliament) initiative that would cut off electricity and water to the facilities owned or operated by UNRWA in the occupied territories.

The new legislation would also allow the Government to confiscate properties in East Jerusalem leased to the agency “without the need to initiate legal or administrative proceedings.”

The Ministry warned that this measure is a direct attack on a UN humanitarian agency that enjoys international legal immunity and whose vital and irreplaceable role is internationally recognized.

The diplomatic institution recalled that Israel has no sovereignty over Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, nor over UNRWA.

The Foreign Ministry affirmed that the continued attacks on the institution not only affect it but also are a serious blow to the entire international humanitarian system and a deliberate attempt to criminalize aid to the Palestinians.

The Ministry called on the world to take urgent measures to protect UNRWA and its staff.

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