Board of Peace’s UNRWA position leaves Gaza role unclear
The Board says UNRWA fails its partner criteria but that its involvement in Gaza is “unchanged”. Hamas condemned the stance, while reports describe continued violence and movement restrictions.
The Board of Peace says it will work only with trusted partners that can deliver for Gaza’s residents and contribute to a “deradicalised Strip”, and that UNRWA fails those criteria. It also said the agency’s involvement in Gaza was “unchanged”, leaving unclear what the position means for UNRWA’s work on the ground.
Hamas condemned the Board’s stance. Spokesperson Hazem Qassem alleged it aligned with Israel and aimed to end UNRWA’s operations, prevent aid delivery and eliminate the right of return. Those claims are Hamas’s characterisation of the Board’s motives.
The Associated Press reported that Board members had met UNRWA officials several times. An unnamed Board official told the AP that programmes could continue if they served Gaza’s residents, while saying that “UNRWA’s days are over”. The account points to a gap between the Board’s public position and reported contacts, but does not establish which programmes will continue.
UNRWA, established in 1949, has provided aid and education to Palestinian refugees for decades. The source reports that the agency was not among the UN bodies named as partners at a Board briefing to the General Assembly.
Gaza’s Ministry of Health said Israeli attacks killed seven Palestinians across the territory over 48 hours. Wafa reported further strikes and injuries in Gaza, as well as Israeli raids, arrests and movement restrictions in the occupied West Bank. These incident reports are attributed to local sources in the Al Jazeera account.
