UN agency says its elimination will not solve Palestinian refugee issue

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) warned on Saturday that Israel's efforts to dismantle the agency will not resolve the Palestinian refugee issue and may, in fact, exacerbate the problem.

In an interview with the Israeli magazine +972, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini emphasized that UNRWA is "the backbone of humanitarian aid operations in Gaza," adding that the agency continues to provide healthcare and education services to Palestinian refugees in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

The official framed the ongoing Israeli attacks on UNRWA as "not just a part of an assault on Palestinian refugees and the right of return, but as an attack on Palestinian history and identity."

"If UNRWA ceases to exist, the issue of Palestinian refugees will not disappear. Instead, the region will face catastrophic consequences, with hundreds of thousands of Palestinians across the occupied territories left without access to education and healthcare," he said, noting that "this would create a vacuum no one could fill."

On Oct. 28, 2024, the Israeli Knesset (parliament) passed two laws banning UNRWA from operating in the occupied Palestinian territories. The legislation also revoked privileges granted to the agency and prohibited any official contact with it. These laws came into effect on Jan. 30, 2025.

Israel has accused UNRWA employees of involvement in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas -- an allegation the agency has firmly denied. The UN has reiterated that UNRWA maintains strict neutrality and remains committed to continuing its work despite the Israeli ban.

A ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement has been in place since last month, pausing Israel's genocidal war on Gaza that has killed more than 48,360 people, mostly women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.

In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.