Hundreds Protest U.N.'s Gaza Aid Suspension

Hundreds of Palestinians rallied outside a U.N. office in Gaza City on Monday, protesting against its decision to suspend aid to refugees in the besieged enclave, witnesses said.

Protesters held banners that read "We want bread, we don't want games," and chanted "O Muslims and Arabs, see the downtrodden," according to witnesses.

The U.N.'s Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA stopped food deliveries after dozens of Gazans forced their way into its Gaza field office last Thursday, demanding reinstatement of a monthly cash allowance to poor families which was halted from April 1 due to budget cuts.

Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, slammed UNRWA's decision, calling on it not to "overreact" to what it said were peaceful protests.

UNRWA said its relief and distribution centers would stay shut until "guarantees are given... that UNRWA operations can continue unhindered.

UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness told Agence France Presse on Monday there was "no change" yet to the decision to suspend aid.