Israel's foreign ministry on Monday said the country has officially notified the United Nations of its decision to end cooperation with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA.

The decision to cancel an agreement governing its relations with UNRWA came after Israel's parliament late last month passed legislation banning the agency from operating in the nation.

Israel has long stressed the need to dismantle UNRWA and move its responsibilities to other UN agencies. It accused some of UNRWA's staff of taking part in the cross-border attacks by the Islamic group Hamas on October 7 last year.

Israel said it would "continue to work with international partners, including other United Nations agencies, to ensure the facilitation of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza."

UNRWA plays a major role in distributing humanitarian aid and providing medical care in the enclave, where at least 1.9 million people are said to have been displaced.

Observers fear the humanitarian situation in Gaza could worsen further, as Israel's latest move is expected to weigh on the agency's operations in Gaza.