The US-led Board of Peace has said UNRWA will have no role in Gaza, excluding the UN agency from its reconstruction plans and echoing Israel’s longstanding campaign to sideline and dismantle it.
UNRWA has about 11,000 Palestinian employees in Gaza and provides healthcare, education, water and sanitation services, while millions of Palestinians rely on the agency across Gaza, the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.
UNRWA acting Commissioner-General Christian Saunders warned that the agency has capabilities that are difficult to replace, while former UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said removing it could have a “devastating” impact on Palestinians.