Unrwa closure imminent as last-bid attempts to stop Israeli ban fail

Unrwa has brought in about 60% of the food aid that has reached Gaza since the war began on 7 October 2023. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

The main UN agency serving Palestinians in the occupied territories, including Gaza, looks likely to be shut down on Thursday as Israel defied widespread international support for the agency in a move Unrwa predicted would “sabotage Gaza’s recovery and political transition”.

Unrwa’s banning looks certain, as Israel’s high court of justice refused a last-minute request to intervene to suspend the law forbidding the agency from operating in Israel.