Arabic version: حماس تدين موقف مجلس السلام من الأونروا

According to Al Jazeera, Hamas has condemned the Board of Peace’s decision not to work with the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, and its statement that the agency will have no role in Gaza.

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said on Saturday that the US-created board’s position was “a complete alignment with the Zionist [Israeli] position”. He said it aimed to end UNRWA’s operations, prevent the agency from delivering aid to Palestinians and eliminate the right of return. Qassem also criticised the board for what he said was a failure to provide aid to Gaza or compel Israel to uphold the ceasefire agreement and halt daily killings.

The Board of Peace said on Friday that “UNRWA’s involvement in Gaza is unchanged”. In a post on X, it said it would work only with “trusted partners” that would deliver for Gaza’s people and contribute to a “deradicalized Strip”, adding that “UNRWA fails on those litmus tests”. Although UNRWA was not named among partners during a Board of Peace briefing to the UN General Assembly, an official told The Associated Press that board members had met UNRWA officials several times.

UNRWA was established in 1949 and has provided aid and education services to Palestinian refugees for decades. Palestinians regard it as protecting their right of return, while Israel wants it dismantled. Separately, Gaza’s Ministry of Health said Israeli attacks had killed seven Palestinians across the Gaza Strip in the previous 48 hours, including one person who died from earlier wounds. Israeli forces also carried out raids in the occupied West Bank, including at Birzeit University.