The US’s envoy to the UN said she was “deeply concerned” by draft Israeli legislation that would declare UNRWA — the agency that provides education, health and aid to millions of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria — a “terrorist” organisation and bar it from operating in Israel.

“We know that UN personnel, including from UNRWA, are vital to the humanitarian response in Gaza and face tremendous danger while performing their work,” Thomas-Greenfield said.

Only a “small percentage” of UNRWA’s staffers are members of Hamas, she said, urging Israel to provide more information regarding its allegations against the agency.

Several Western countries — including the US — cut funding to UNRWA earlier this year after Israel claimed that 19 out of the agency’s 30,000 workers had been involved in Hamas’s October 7 attacks.

Most donors have resumed payments amid criticism that the action was disproportionate.