The crisis of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in the Palestinian territories is a political rather than a financial one, a senior Hamas member said on Saturday.

"The crisis is aimed at undermining the cause of the Palestinian refugees," Khalil el Haya, member of Hamas political bureau, told Al Quds satellite channel.

He said that he was not convinced that a shortage of only 100 million U.S. dollars causes such crisis in the work of the UN organization.

"Hamas is concerned over the recent measures of UNRWA, which are not less dangerous than the Gaza blockade," he said.