Gaza aid fears as Israel bans UN Palestinian refugee agency

Israel's parliament has voted to pass legislation banning the UN's Palestinian refugee agency (Unrwa) from operating within Israel and Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem, within three months.

Contact between Unrwa employees and Israeli officials will also be banned, severely limiting the agency's ability to operate in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Co-operation with the Israeli military - which controls all crossings into Gaza - is essential for Unrwa to transfer aid into the war-torn territory. It is the main UN organisation working on the ground there.