Ben Saul, UN special rapporteur on the promotion of human rights and counterterrorism, has called on Israel to repeal two laws preventing the UN agency for Palestinian refugees from “fulfilling its international mandate to provide humanitarian relief and essential services”, Al Jazeera reports.

In a report published on February 19, Saul and 24 other independent UN experts said “certain provisions in these laws” — which came into effect at the end of last month — may violate international law.

The report also warned that “dismantling UNRWA outside a political process that includes an orderly conclusion of the Agency’s mandate” could risk “undermining the ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas.