In either case, the laws could have major consequences for Palestinians in Gaza, who have been heavily dependent on emergency food aid for more than a year of war that has killed tens of thousands of people, according to local officials, who do not distinguish fighters from civilians; 90% of the population of 2.3 million was displaced; and left much of the area in ruins.

The first law prohibits UNRWA from “conducting, directly or indirectly, any mission, providing any service or carrying out any activity within the sovereign territory of Israel,” according to a statement from parliament.

It is unclear whether UNRWA can still operate in Gaza and the West Bank, which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war but never formally annexed. Palestinians want both to be part of the future state.

The second law prohibits Israeli state institutions from communicating with UNRWA and annuls the agreement that dates back to 1947, before the founding of Israel, and which facilitates UNRWA’s work.

Because Israel controls all access to Gaza and the West Bank, it can be difficult for UNRWA staff to enter and exit these areas through Israeli checkpoints and bring vital supplies to schools, health centers, and humanitarian programs.

UNRWA and its staff will also lose their tax exemptions and legal immunity.

UNRWA is headquartered in east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 war and annexed in a move not recognized internationally.

Most of the agency’s supply lines to the regions pass through Israel, and shutting them down could further hinder the delivery of essential aid to Gaza, from flour and canned vegetables to winter blankets and mattresses.

Currently, all aid shipments to Gaza must be coordinated with COGAT, the Israeli military agency responsible for civil affairs, which oversees all shipments. Aid groups say their work has been hampered by Israeli delays, ongoing clashes and the deterioration of public order in Gaza.

Aid levels fell in the first half of October as Israel closed crossings into northern Gaza, where hunger experts say the famine threat is most severe. COGAT attributed this decline to closures for Jewish holidays and troop movements for an ongoing major offensive in northern Gaza.

The UN says 704 trucks of aid entered the Gaza Strip in the first 19 days of October, down from 3,018 trucks in September and August. COGAT’s own tracking dashboard shows aid deliveries in October fell below a third of September and August levels.

The new laws will also ban UNRWA from banking in Israel, raising questions about how UNRWA will continue to pay thousands of Palestinian staff in Gaza and the West Bank. Its international staff will likely need to be relocated to third countries such as Jordan.

Human rights groups say Israel is obliged under international law to meet the basic needs of people in the territories it occupies. Israel also faces growing pressure from the Biden administration, which says it may be forced to reduce U.S. military support without a dramatic increase in aid to Gaza.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the United States was “deeply disturbed” by the law, which “poses a risk to millions of Palestinians who rely on UNRWA for essential services.”

“We will meet with the Israeli government in the coming days about how they plan to implement this” and see if there are any legal challenges, he said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that “Israel is ready to work with our international partners to ensure that Israel continues to provide humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza in a way that does not threaten Israel’s security.”

But many of these partners insist there is no alternative to UNRWA.

A spokesman for the UN children’s agency, which also provides aid to Gaza, condemned the new laws in unusually harsh language, saying “a new way of killing children has been found”.

James Elder said the loss of UNRWA “will most likely lead to the collapse of the humanitarian system in Gaza.” His agency, known as UNICEF, “will be unable to effectively distribute life-saving supplies” such as vaccines, winter clothing, water and food to combat malnutrition.

Israeli officials are considering the possibility of having the military or private contractors handle aid distribution, but have not yet developed a concrete plan, according to two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door talks.

COGAT referred all questions regarding the new legislation to the government.

It’s not just UNRWA’s aid to Gaza that’s at risk, it’s also its largest employer. UNRWA also operates schools, as well as health centers and infrastructure projects, serving more than 330,000 children in the occupied West Bank.

Amy Pope, head of another UN body, the International Organization for Migration, said UNRWA could not fill the gap left by it, calling it “absolutely essential”.

“They provide training. They provide health services. “They have been meeting some of the most basic needs of the people who have lived there for decades,” he said.