Gaza Genocide · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
Israel Seeks To Remove UNRWA From Gaza, ICJ Rejects Hamas Infiltration Claims
UNRWA faces a funding gap threatening its refugee relief operations. UN Secretary-General warns UNRWA's mandate and ability to act are seriously imperilled.
10 outlets told this the same way.
3 of 4 outlets skipped it: UNRWA provides specific roles like sanitation workers and clerks.
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UNRWA sidelined, services continue
Israel seeks to remove UNRWA from Gaza, repeatedly accusing it of being infiltrated by militants affiliated with Hamas, accusations the International Court of Justice says are not supported by evidence. Philippe Lazzarini said, “They want to get rid of the Agency, but they also recognize that getting rid of it entirely today would leave an additional devastating imprint on the population.” The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees remains the largest humanitarian aid provider in the territory and plays a major role in education and health, while it continues to have about 11,000 Palestinian staff in Gaza.
UNRWA says it carries out about 14,000 daily medical screenings, maintains water and waste management systems serving more than one million Palestinians, and runs digital literacy and mathematics programs for over 280,000 children. The Peace Council held several meetings with UNRWA officials, and a senior Peace Council official said the agency’s programs could continue if they served Gaza’s population well.
Guterres warns of jeopardy
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told a ministerial meeting in New York that UNRWA’s mandate and work are in “jeopardy,” with nearly 400 members of UNRWA’s workforce in Gaza killed and hundreds of premises made “inaccessible, severely damaged, or utterly destroyed.” Guterres said, “These actions are wholly unacceptable and inconsistent with Israel’s obligations under international law, including the UN Charter.” Guterres warned that UNRWA faces a severe financial crisis with a cash shortfall of $100 million, and he said the resumption of assistance since the ceasefire was announced last October brought some relief but conditions remain intolerable.
Ayman Safadi said UNRWA is “still the target of political assassination” despite reforms, and he warned against any change to its mandate or transfer of its responsibilities to host countries. Christian Saunders said UNRWA has more than 10,000 personnel in Gaza assisting 1.7 million people, including some 70,000 medical consultations a week.
Funding gap and access constraints
Christian Saunders warned that UNRWA faces an extraordinary financial crisis with a cash-flow deficit estimated at about $100 million for 2026, and he said the agency will not be able to continue providing its essential services without additional financial support. Saunders said approaching winter, along with the sharp funding shortage and ongoing restrictions on the entry of essential supplies, threatens the humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip. Jaridat al-Quds reported that UNRWA had to reduce service delivery hours by 20 percent and cut salaries of the majority of local staff as the agency’s cash shortfall for 2026 grew.
Jaridat al-Quds said UNRWA provides services to about 1.7 million people in Gaza through more than 80 emergency shelters and around 70,000 medical consultations weekly. UNRWA confirmed that the share of humanitarian aid trucks at the Kerem Shalom crossing fell from 77% to 70%, and it said the crossing remains the only one available for moving goods with other crossings closed.