Arabic version: مجلس السلام يستبعد الأونروا من أي دور في غزة
According to Al Jazeera, the United States-led Board of Peace has said the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, will have no role in Gaza. The board said it would work only with partners it considers reliable and able to meet the needs of Gaza’s population, adding that UNRWA does not meet its standard.
The position was announced after the Board of Peace presented a 66-project reconstruction blueprint on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. The plan proposes $2.4bn for projects intended to begin Gaza’s recovery, but UNRWA was not included among the UN agencies identified as partners. A Board of Peace official told The Associated Press that the agency’s programmes could continue if they served Gaza residents well, while saying that “UNRWA’s days are over”.
UNRWA acting Commissioner-General Christian Saunders said the agency has humanitarian and strategic value, with capabilities and expertise that are difficult to replicate. Former UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini warned that removing the agency would have a “devastating” effect on Palestinians. UNRWA has about 11,000 Palestinian employees in Gaza and remains involved in healthcare, education, water and sanitation services.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem described the exclusion as “a complete alignment with the Zionist [Israeli] position”, saying it sought to end UNRWA operations, restrict aid delivery and undermine Palestinian refugees’ right of return. Israel has long sought to remove the agency from Gaza, while Palestinians view it as safeguarding that right.
The Board of Peace’s reconstruction plan is tied to Hamas’s disarmament. It says temporary reconstruction would begin in areas free of Hamas control, while Israeli forces remain behind the so-called Yellow Line. Nearly a year after the October 2025 ceasefire, reconstruction has not started on a meaningful scale. Gaza’s Ministry of Health says at least 1,451 Palestinians have been killed and 4,953 wounded in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire began.
