The Governments of Ireland, Norway, Slovenia and Spain condemn the approval by the Knesset [the Israeli parliament] of legislation to prevent UN Relief Agency (UNRWA) from operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

UNRWA has a mandate from the United Nations General Assembly. The work of the Agency is essential and irreplaceable for millions of Palestinian refugees in the region, and particularly in the current context in Gaza. The legislation approved by the Knesset sets a very serious precedent for the work of the United Nations and for all organizations of the multilateral system.