Israel, backed by Washington, will cease contact with the UN's Palestinian humanitarian relief agency UNRWA and any other body acting on its behalf, its UN envoy said Tuesday, drawing condemnation from aid groups.

Signaling a shift in the US position on the agency by the administration of President Donald Trump, a US envoy voiced support for the decision -- and called for a probe into Israeli claims UNRWA sites were used by Palestinian militant group Hamas.

UNRWA's offices and staff in Israel play a major role in the provision of healthcare and education to Palestinians, including those living in the Gaza Strip, devastated by 15 months of war with Israel.

The fighting provoked a deep humanitarian crisis, destroying hospitals and sparking outbreaks of infectious diseases while hundreds of thousands of Gazans faced starvation conditions and have depended on food aid.

The organization claims to have brought in 60 percent of the food to have reached Gaza since the start of the war, which was ignited by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel.

But it has long clashed with Israeli officials, who have repeatedly accused it of undermining........

© International Business Times