Israel’s parliament has approved a law banning the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine from operating inside Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The U.N. agency, known as UNRWA, is tasked with providing food, healthcare and social services to Palestinians and is a critical lifeline to Gaza’s surviving 2.3 million residents who face widespread famine and malnutrition due to Israel’s unrelenting, yearlong assault. The ban on UNRWA was approved in a 92-10 vote with the full support of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party. Israeli lawmaker Sharren Haskel co-authored the legislation.

Sharren Haskel: “If the United Nations is not willing to clean this organization from terrorism, from Hamas activists, then we have to take measures to make sure they cannot harm our people ever again.”

Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, called the bill’s passage a “dangerous precedent,” “collective punishment” and a violation of the U.N. Charter and international law. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called it “unacceptable” and said the ban would have devastating consequences for Palestinian refugees. Its passage has increased support for a Palestinian Authority initiative to expel Israel from the United Nations General Assembly.