United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has declared that there is no alternative to the UN Palestinian Refugee Agency (UNRWA) and 118 countries backed the relief organisation as indispensable, amid stepped-up efforts by Israel to dismantle it.

“My appeal to everyone is this: Protect UNRWA, protect UNRWA staff, and protect UNRWA’s mandate — including through funding,” Guterres told a UNRWA pledging conference in New York according to Reuters.

“Let me be clear: there is no alternative to UNRWA.”

“UNRWA is also being targeted in other ways,” Guterres said.

“Staff have been the subject of increasingly violent protests and virulent misinformation and disinformation campaigns.”

“Some have been detained by Israeli security forces, and subsequently reported mistreatment and even torture,” he said, adding that in the West Bank, the presence and movements of UNRWA staff have also been severely restricted by Israel.