UN refugee agency warns Gaza aid may ‘disintegrate’ if Israeli laws pass

Tents are crammed together as displaced Palestinians camp along the beach of Deir Al Balah, central Gaza Strip. Picture: Abdel Kareem Hana/AP

The head of the United Nation agency for Palestinian refugees has warned that pending Israeli legislation could see humanitarian operations in Gaza and the West Bank “disintegrate”.

Philippe Lazzarini told the UN Security Council on Wednesday that senior Israeli officials are bent on destroying the agency known as UNRWA, which is the main provider of humanitarian aid in Gaza, which would leave hundreds of thousands of people in dire need as war rages.