Washington: A coalition of countries on Wednesday condemned Israel's efforts to discredit and dismantle the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) during a high-level UN Security Council meeting. 'Today, the agency continues to face attacks by Israel, the occupying power, an unprecedented campaign aimed at restricting, discrediting, and marginalizing its work,' Kuwait's representative said on behalf of the "Shared Commitments" group.

According to Anadolu Agency, the coalition said the killing of 391 UNRWA personnel, the highest loss of aid workers in UN history, underscored the devastating impact on the agency. The joint statement also condemned the occupation and demolition of UNRWA facilities, including a recent decision to establish Israeli military infrastructure at the agency's compound in occupied East Jerusalem.

The group said such unilateral actions violate the UN Charter and international law, noting that Israel remains obligated to facilitate humanitarian aid under a 2025 advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice. The coalition reaffirmed that UNRWA is an "indispensable and irreplaceable" lifeline for nearly 6 million Palestinian refugees across the region. It warned that weakening the agency's operational capacity would deepen human suffering and undermine conditions necessary for peace.

The group also called on the international community to provide predictable and sustainable funding, describing support for the agency as a critical investment in human dignity. Israel has taken several measures against UNRWA, including passing laws to ban or severely restrict its operations, ending cooperation with the agency, and raiding or closing its facilities.