Jerusalem, Israel - 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 vital role in the provision of healthcare and education to Palestinians, including those living in the Gaza Strip, devastated by 15 months of a genocidal assault by Israel.

The war has 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.

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The organization has brought in 60% of the food to have reached Gaza since the start of the war in October 2023, but it has long clashed with Israeli officials, who have repeatedly accused it of undermining the country's security.

"The legislation concerning UNRWA activities in Israel will officially come into force in 48 hours on January 30... UNRWA must cease its operations and evacuate all premises it operates in Jerusalem," the envoy, Danny Danon, told the UN Security Council.

"The legislation forbids UNWRA from operating within the sovereign territory of the State of Israel, and forbids any contact between Israeli officials and UNWRA. "Israel remains committed to its commitments under international law."

Israel claims that a dozen UNRWA employees were involved in the deadly Hamas October 7, 2023 assault and insists that other organizations can pick up the slack to provide essential services, aid, and reconstruction – an allegation the UN disputes.

A series of probes, including one led by France's former foreign minister Catherine Colonna, found some "neutrality related issues" at UNRWA – but stressed Israel had not provided evidence for its chief allegations.

The agency's chief, Philippe Lazzarini, said UNRWA's "capacity to directly provide primary healthcare for millions of Palestinians, and to resume education for hundreds of thousands of children, far exceeds that of any other entity."

He called Israel's actions against UNRWA a "relentless assault" that is "harming the lives and future of Palestinians across the occupied Palestinian territory."

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"It is eroding their trust in the international community, jeopardizing any prospect for peace and security," he said.

But the US threw its weight behind the move of its closest Middle East ally, accusing Lazzarini of overstating the impact of the decision.

"The United States supports the implementation of this decision," said Dorothy Shea, a US representative to the UN.

"UNRWA exaggerating the effects of the laws and suggesting that they will force [out] the entire humanitarian response is irresponsible and dangerous," she said.

"What is needed is a nuanced discussion about how we can ensure that there's no interruption in the delivery of humanitarian aid and essential services. UNRWA is not and never has been the only option."

Under Trump's predecessor Joe Biden, Washington had supported UNRWA's continuing its work – but withheld funding at the insistence of Congress.

The Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, said there were only two forces able to "respond to the prevailing disastrous conditions and restore life and hope for the Palestinian people" – the Palestinian government and UNRWA.

"Yet Israel is demanding that everyone forsake them and work around them, setting us all up for failure," he said.

"We are determined, however, to stay and deliver until it is no longer possible to do so," said Lazzarini.