Indonesia has strongly denounced Israel’s decision to label the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) as a terrorist organisation through a bill approved by the country’s parliament.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said on Wednesday.

“Israel is trying to systematically weaken UNRWA by this labelling,’’ Marsudi said.

Over 62 dead in Israeli attacks on central Gaza

Marsudi emphasised that Israel’s earlier charge, which was later found to be unfounded after an investigation, alleged that the UNRWA employees were involved in the attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

Donor countries temporarily stopped providing funding to the agency as a result of this charge of being a terrorist organisation.

According to Marsudi, Israel’s systematic weakening of the agency aim to erase the issue of Palestinian refugees, forcing them to remain in host countries without hope of returning to their homeland.

Marsudi added that this weakening was consistent with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attempts to undermine the idea of a two-state solution and continue his attacks on Palestine.