THE head of the United Nations aid agency for Palestinian refugees said today that Israel’s new laws effectively banning its activities in the country will leave a vacuum that will cause more deaths and create further instability in Gaza and the West Bank.

UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini said the new Israeli legislation denied Palestinians a functioning provider of lifesaving services, education and healthcare.

UNRWA has been the main organisation procuring and distributing aid in the Gaza Strip, where almost the entire population of around 2.3 million Palestinians relies on it for survival.