CAIRO, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Arab League (AL) and Egypt welcomed on Saturday the recent UN decision to extend the mandate of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) for three years.

In a statement, the Cairo-based AL said the UNRWA plays an indispensable role in supporting millions of Palestinian refugees, especially amid the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

AL Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit called for urgent international support to close the UNRWA's 200-million-U.S. dollar funding gap and counter what he described as Israeli campaigns aimed at undermining the agency, according to the statement.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry, in a separate statement, praised the UN decision as a reaffirmation of international commitment to Palestinian refugees' rights until a just and lasting solution is reached.

It urged the international community to ensure sustainable funding for the UNRWA.

On Friday, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a resolution on renewing the UNRWA's mandate, as part of a series of pro-Palestine votes. Enditem