US rejects Israeli occupation attempt to designate UNRWA as terror org.

The US Department of State reaffirmed that the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) was not a terror organization, urging the the Israeli occupation authorities to drop a draft legislation in this regard. "UNRWA is not a terrorist organization, and we urge the Israeli government and the Knesset (parliament) to halt the movement of this legislation," the State Dept. Spokesperson Mathew Miller told reporters on Wednesday. "We have been clear about the important role that UNRWA plays in delivering humanitarian assistance and other critical assistance to Palestinians in Gaza and throughout the region, not just in Gaza. "I think United States provides the majority of the funding for humanitarian efforts in Gaza through the UN," the spokesperson pointed out. "We expect to continue to do so. As you know, we are currently barred by statute from providing assistance through UNRWA, but that doesn't mean we don't support the work that they do and we don't support other ways to get humanitarian assistance. "So I would say, and you've heard us say this before, that the attacks that the Israeli government has leveled on UNRWA are incredibly unhelpful. "They do nothing to advance the cause of getting humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza. "So we're going to continue to support the work that UNRWA does in the region while also recognizing the need for reform, something that you have heard UNRWA, and the UN also speak to," Miller added. Source: Kuwait News Agency