The ban, which sparked global condemnation including from key Israeli backer the United States, should come into force in late January, with the UN Security Council warning it would have severe consequences for millions of Palestinians.

Israel has accused a dozen employees of the agency, UNRWA, of participating in the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, the deadliest in Israeli history. UNRWA fired nine employees in the wake of the attack that sparked the Gaza war following the accusations.

Jonathan Fowler, an UNRWA spokesman, told AFP the ban would probably cause the collapse of aid efforts to Gaza.

UNRWA was established in 1949 after the first Arab-Israeli conflict following Israel’s creation in 1948. The agency, which began its operations on May 1, 1950, was tasked with assisting some 750,000 Palestinians who had fled or been expelled from their homes during the war. Its mandate has since been repeatedly extended in the absence of a solution for Palestinian refugees.