In a meeting in New York on Wednesday, a usually very divided Security Council could gather around a council statement expressing "deep concern" over Israel's law that in practice bans the UN agency from operating in Palestinian areas on the West Bank, in East Jerusalem, and in Gaza.
Even the US, which has veto power in the council, backed the tough formulations on "a strong warning against attempts to dismantle or reduce UNRWA's efforts and mandate".
The UN refugee agency for Palestinians is in practice prevented from operating in several Palestinian areas after a decision by Israel's parliament, the Knesset.
The Security Council also urged Israel to "fulfill international obligations", as well as to "respect immunity and privileges" for the UN organization.
UNRWA has around 30,000 employees and operates in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, as well as in Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, where Palestinian refugees are located.
