UNRWA Pledges to Continue Gaza Operations Despite Israeli Restrictions
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has vowed to continue its operations in the Gaza Strip, despite Israel's expulsion of its staff from the occupied West Bank and new legislation banning the relief agency.
Speaking at an official meeting in Cairo on Monday, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said the agency faces "significant operational challenges" but remains committed to its mission. He credited the “courage and commitment of our Palestinian staff” for keeping UNRWA schools and health clinics open in the occupied West Bank.
Lazzarini noted that while a core team of international staff remains in Gaza, Israel has stopped facilitating their entry and exit through the Kerem Shalom crossing.
“It is unclear to what extent our ability to operate will be further constrained by the prohibition on contact between UNRWA representatives and Israeli officials,” he said. “What is clear is that the agency will stay and deliver its mandate until it is prevented from doing so.”
“We will do this despite the considerable risks to our staff in an increasingly hostile operational environment,” he added.
On Monday, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the immediate enforcement of the UNRWA law, which was passed by the Knesset. The legislation, approved in October 2024, calls for the agency’s expulsion and bars Israeli authorities from engaging with it. Israel had previously ordered UNRWA to vacate all its premises in occupied East Jerusalem al-Quds by January 30, 2025.
Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump also signed executive orders cutting funding for UNRWA.
For decades, the agency has provided essential humanitarian services, including education, healthcare, and vocational training, to Palestinian refugees in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Following the passage of the Israeli bill, UN Secretary General António Guterres warned that banning UNRWA would have "devastating consequences." Joyce Msuya, acting head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, called the decision “dangerous and outrageous,” while Lazzarini described it as "collective punishment" that would worsen Palestinian suffering.
Washington’s funding halt comes as the US has supplied billions of dollars in military aid to Israel since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023.
According to Israel’s war ministry, over 76,000 tons of military equipment—most of it from the US—have been delivered since the war began.
The Israeli genocidal war has resulted in the deaths of at least 48,271 Palestinians, mostly women and children, with 111,693 others wounded, according to Gaza health authorities.
