Any forced halt of UNRWA's work would jeopardise Gaza ceasefire, agency says

GENEVA (Reuters) - The U.N. Palestinian relief agency UNRWA said on Friday that if its humanitarian work in Gaza is forced to halt, it would put a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas at risk.

The agreement has paused a 15-month-old war between Israel and Gaza's rulers Hamas that has decimated the Gaza Strip, killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and destabilised the Middle East.

The deal has allowed for a surge in humanitarian aid and enabled the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza and Palestinian detainees from Israeli jails.

"If UNRWA is not allowed to continue to bring and distribute supplies, then the fate of this very fragile ceasefire is going to be at risk and is going to be in jeopardy," Juliette Touma, director of communications of UNRWA, told a Geneva press briefing.

For now, its work in Gaza and elsewhere continues despite an Israeli ban that was due to take effect on Jan. 30, she added.

However, she said that its Palestinian staff located in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are facing difficulties, citing examples of stone-throwing and hold-ups at checkpoints.

"They face an exceptionally hostile environment as a fierce disinformation campaign against UNRWA continues," she said.

(Reporting by Emma Farge, Editing by Miranda Murray)