The United Nations has issued a sharp warning after Israeli authorities moved to cut electricity and water supplies to facilities run by the UN Relief and Works Agency in Jerusalem, a step described as a serious threat to the agency’s ability to function. UN officials said the measure would severely undermine the delivery of essential services to Palestinian refugees already facing extreme hardship.

Speaking in New York, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric confirmed that Secretary-General António Guterres had strongly denounced the decision, stressing that it obstructs the United Nations’ humanitarian mandate. He underlined that UNRWA, its staff, and its facilities are protected under international law, recalling that the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations guarantees the inviolability of UN property and operations.

UNRWA’s Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, also condemned the move, describing it as part of a sustained campaign aimed at weakening and discrediting the agency. He warned that cutting basic utilities to UN facilities represents an escalation that directly targets humanitarian work, at a time when Palestinian refugees are enduring unprecedented levels of deprivation amid a prolonged genocidal war.

The decision follows a vote in the Israeli parliament approving legislation to halt water and electricity services to UNRWA offices in occupied East Jerusalem. The law was adopted with a clear majority and entered into force immediately, prompting fears that the agency’s operations could be paralysed. UN officials cautioned that the measure risks deepening the humanitarian catastrophe, disrupting aid delivery and leaving vulnerable refugee communities without vital support.