WASHINGTON

The UN on Friday rejected remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who accused the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) of becoming "a subsidiary of Hamas."

"You've already heard us talk about how UNRWA is not linked to Hamas," deputy spokesman Farhan Haq told the reporters.

His remarks came after Rubio told the reporters in Israel that the UN is on the ground in the Gaza Strip, but UNRWA is "not going to play any role," describing it as a "subsidiary of Hamas."

Haq dismissed Rubio’s characterization, reiterating that UNRWA plays a crucial humanitarian role in Gaza.

"UNRWA is the backbone of our humanitarian operations in Gaza.

"There were a small number of staff members of UNRWA who were credibly linked to Hamas, and we have handled that situation and fired those personnel. Others were not found to have any links, or there was no evidence provided to back up any allegations," he said.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on Wednesday that Israel is obliged under the Geneva Convention to agree to and facilitate relief schemes provided by third states and impartial humanitarian groups, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the UNRWA, to ensure that sufficient aid reaches the Gaza Strip.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday welcomed the adversary opinion of the ICJ and "strongly" urged Israel to comply with its obligations in relation to the presence and activities of the UN and other humanitarian actors in the Occupied Palestinian Territory in accordance with the advisory opinion.