Former UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini: 'The destruction of Gaza has been acknowledged by the international community. It's a disgrace'

Philippe Lazzarini, former commissioner-general of UNRWA, at his home in Geneva, on September 30, 2026. JORDI RUIZ CIRERA / LE TEMPS In Témoin de Gaza: Ce qui ne s'efface pas ("Witness of Gaza: What Can't Be Erased"), former UNRWA commissioner general Philippe Lazzarini recounts the destruction of Gaza and what he describes as an Israeli campaign to dismantle the UN agency he led for over half a decade. Lazzarini condemns what he calls an "abdication" by the international community, while also addressing accusations of collusion with Hamas, the painful decisions he was forced to make and the risk of Palestinians' political prospects disappearing.

In your book, you describe Israel's long-standing desire to eliminate UNRWA, notably because it embodies the issue of Palestinian refugees and their right of return. Is Israel succeeding in achieving that goal? Israel did everything it could to achieve this goal. Before October 7, 2023, there was always a gap between political dogma and pragmatism. Some politicians called for the dismantling of UNRWA, but the military establishment and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were much more pragmatic.

They saw us as a "necessary evil." While they didn't agree with the agency's raison d'être , they knew our departure would create a vacuum. You have 90.95% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.