The president of the Palestinian National Council, Rawhi Fattouh, has called for Israel’s expulsion from the UN if it fails to reverse its ban on UNRWA functioning in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, Al Jazeera reports.

Fattouh said Israel’s decision is in clear violation of the UN Charter and part of Israel’s policy is “ethnic cleansing”, Wafa news agency reported.

He urged UN member states to hold a General Assembly session to compel Israel to reverse its legislation or face legal consequences that could result in expulsion from the world body.

The UNRWA ban not only jeopardises the rights of refugees but also undermines international legitimacy and goes against UN resolutions concerning the Palestinian issue, Fattouh said.