Israel passes bills banning the UN Palestinian refugee agency. Here’s what you need to know today.

 Israel has defied international pressure and approved two bills stifling the work of UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.

Here’s a reminder of some of the latest developments on Monday:

• UN agency ban: The Israeli parliament – known as the Knesset – signed off on two laws on Monday evening. The first barred UNRWA from activity in Israel. The second bill banned Israeli authorities from any contact with the UN body. The actions are expected to severely hamper UNRWA’s ability to operate in Gaza and the West Bank.
• What is UNRWA? UNRWA was founded by the United Nations a year after the 1948 creation of Israel that led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes in an event known by Palestinians as the “Nakba” (catastrophe). The agency now serves some 5.9 million across the Middle East, many of whom live in refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
• UNWRA chief reacts: Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini called Israel’s moves “unprecedented” before adding that it violated international law. “These bills will only deepen the suffering of Palestinians, especially in Gaza,” he said on X.
• Gaza ceasefire talks resume: As high-level talks resumed for the first time in two months, Egypt proposed an initial two-day ceasefire to exchange four Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. Further talks are set to take place in the days ahead, according to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.
• Israeli operations in northern Gaza: More than 1,000 people have been killed since Israel began a large-scale military incursion into northern Gaza earlier this month, Mahmoud Basal, the spokesperson for the Gaza civil defense, has said. Basal said intense Israeli bombardment has been continuous for 22 days in Jabalya, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun, among other areas.