The UN agency for Palestinian refugees must end operations and leave all its premises in Jerusalem by January 30, Israel’s UN ambassador said Friday, affirming timelines set out in controversial Israeli legislation. Defying international concern, Israeli lawmakers have passed legislation that bars the agency, UNRWA, from operating in Israel and east Jerusalem, the sector of the city annexed by Israel following the 1967 Six Day War. The agency has faced criticism from Israel that has escalated since the start of the war, including claims that a dozen of its 13,000 Gaza employees were involved in the deadly October 7, 2023 assault by Hamas.
