GENEVA: The head of the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) on Monday called on partners to fight back against efforts by Israel to have the organization disbanded as it provides humanitarian assistance to Gaza and across the region.
“Israel has long been critical of the agency’s mandate. But it now seeks to end UNRWA’s operations, dismissing the agency’s status as a United Nations entity supported by an overwhelming majority of member states,” UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said at a meeting of the agency’s advisory commission in Geneva.
“If we do not push back, other UN entities and international organizations will be next, further undermining our multilateral system.”
The Israeli diplomatic mission in Geneva had no immediate comment.
Lazzarini said the agency, which has provided essential aid to Gazans throughout Israel’s offensive, was “staggering under the weight of relentless attacks.”
“In Gaza, the agency has paid a terrible price: 193 UNRWA personnel have been killed,” he said.
“More than 180 installations have been damaged or destroyed, killing at least 500 people seeking United Nations protection...Our premises have been used for military purposes by Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups.”
Lazzarini said the agency was being subjected to a “concerted effort” to dismantle it, including through legislative initiatives threatening to evict the agency from its compound and labelling UNRWA as a terrorist organization.
Several countries halted their funding to UNRWA following accusations by Israel that some of the agency’s staff were involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war. Most donors have since resumed their funding.
Lazzarini said that UNRWA still lacked the necessary resources to fulfil its mandate.
“The agency’s ability to operate beyond August will depend on member states disbursing planned funds and providing new contributions to the core budget,” he said.
Established in 1949 following the first Arab-Israeli war, UNRWA provides services including schooling, primary health care and humanitarian aid in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.
UNRWA chief urges pushback against efforts to disband Palestinian agency
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UNRWA chief urges pushback against efforts to disband Palestinian agency
- UNRWA’s Philippe Lazzarini: ‘If we do not push back, other UN entities and international organizations will be next, further undermining our multilateral system’
- Several countries halted their funding to UNRWA following accusations by Israel that some of the agency’s staff were involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack
’Not much is standing’ in Gaza, says UN official
- “We can’t wait, we can’t procrastinate,” da Silva said, adding that Gazans across the territory were living in an “inhumane situation“
- He said the launch of phase two of the Gaza truce plan marked a “historical” moment
JERUSALEM: A top United Nations official on Thursday called for accelerating reconstruction work in Gaza, saying Palestinians there were living in “inhumane” conditions, even as a US-backed truce entered its second phase.
“I wouldn’t have imagined what I saw today, which is total destruction, not much is standing,” Jorge Moreira da Silva, head of UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) told journalists after a visit to the Gaza Strip.
“We can’t wait, we can’t procrastinate,” he said, adding that Gazans across the territory were living in an “inhumane situation.”
The two-year war between Hamas and Israeli forces has left Gaza facing destruction on a scale unseen in previous conflicts, with vast swathes reduced to rubble.
Entire residential neighborhoods, hospitals, schools and basic infrastructure have been heavily damaged or destroyed, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to live in makeshift shelters.
Da Silva said the launch of phase two of the Gaza truce plan marked a “historical” moment that should be seized to kick-start reconstruction efforts.
“This opens the opportunities for reconstruction, knowing that we will need $52 billion, according to the assessment conducted by the World Bank, UN and the European Commission, for the reconstruction of Gaza,” he said.
“But the point is we can’t wait for the big reconstruction, which requires billions, to immediately launch the early recovery that requires millions.”
On Wednesday, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff announced the start of phase two of the Gaza ceasefire, saying it aimed to pave the way for reconstruction and the demilitarization of all armed factions in the territory.
The war was triggered by the Palestinian Islamist group’s unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The ensuing Israeli offensive has devastated Gaza, home to about 2.2 million people, a territory that was already suffering severely from previous rounds of fighting and from an Israeli blockade imposed since 2007.
Da Silva said the war had left about 60 million tons of rubble scattered across the strip.
“Gaza is flooded by rubble and debris,” he said.
“The problem is not just the volume of rubble, it’s also the fact that its content is quite a matter of concern, with unexploded ordnance in the rubble, dangerous waste, and unfortunately also human remains.”
The environmental and urban planning specialist said one of the most urgent priorities was ensuring reliable access to fuel — a critical resource in Gaza, where most electricity is generated by fuel-powered generators.
He also cited the need for demining, rebuilding water supply networks, lifting restrictions on the entry of aid, and allowing in spare parts required for repairs — long-standing demands by humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza.
Aid groups have for months complained of difficulties bringing in equipment and supplies, blaming Israeli restrictions.
Israel rejects those accusations, saying it oversees the entry of goods into Gaza to ensure its security.
