UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned Israel that he may refer it to the International Court of Justice if it does not repeal laws targeting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and return the assets and properties it has seized.

In a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Guterres said the United Nations cannot remain indifferent to the measures taken by Israel, which directly contradict its obligations under international law, and therefore must be reversed without delay.

In October 2024, the Israeli parliament (the Knesset) passed a law banning UNRWA from operating in Israel and prohibiting Israeli officials from contacting the agency. The law was amended last month to ban the supply of electricity and water to UNRWA facilities.

In October 2024, the Knesset also finalized the ban on UNRWA’s activities in Israel, claiming that some of its employees were involved in the October 7, 2023 attack.