It is not uncommon for US legislators to use so-called “must pass” bills to advance their policy priorities and UNRWA has been in the crosshairs of pro-Israel members of Congress for years.

The funding bill says US funds “may not be used for a contribution, grant, or other payment” to UNRWA until March 2025.

The US has been UNRWA’s largest donor. If passed, the ban would almost certainly lead to a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where UN experts have said famine is looming as a result of Israel’s blockade of the occupied territory.

“The Administration urges the Congress to send this critical legislation to the President’s desk for signature without delay and to quickly pivot to the bipartisan national security supplemental,” the White House said in a statement on Thursday.