UNRWA is being sidelined by the "Board of Peace"

The so-called “Board of Peace” and the US administration have announced that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) “has no place in the new Gaza.”

Liquidating the refugee issue

They say they are “turning the page on the complex of perpetual aid dependency & conflict.” But “Israel” is the reason why Palestinians in Gaza are reliant on aid in the first place. The occupation has enforced a blockade on the Strip for almost two decades. At the same time, it has inflicted repeated cycles of violence, and persistent destruction of the population. Even before the genocide, 80 percent of Gaza’s population depended on some form of humanitarian assistance.

In a statement, Hamas says it strongly rejects the statements regarding UNRWA’s future. It has described them as part of broader efforts aligned with the Israeli occupation’s policy of “targeting the agency and undermining its role.”

UNRWA is not only a humanitarian body, but “one of the most prominent international testimonies to the Nakba.” It is also a symbol of the international community’s responsibility toward Palestinian refugees. So by targeting UNRWA, the “Board of Peace” and the US are trying to “liquidate the refugee issue.” Hamas warns that such a move would undermine what it described as the inalienable rights of Palestinians, particularly the right of return.

Solidifying injustice

Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor believes that removing the UN’s role as a witness to the refugee situation does not resolve the conflict. Instead, the human rights NGO says in a statement, it “worsens the underlying causes and solidifies injustice.”

According to Jeff Bartos, the U.S. Representative for UN Management and Reform, this year UN member states finally have a choice. Either support UNRWA, and “fund incitement, terrorism and stagnation,” or fund the Board of Peace, “ giving Gazans a path to peace, prosperity and real, durable change.”

UN Member States have a choice: Fund incitement, terrorism, and stagnation with pledges to UNRWA.

Or fund the Board of Peace, giving Gazans a path to peace and prosperity. History will not forget. @AmbUNReform pic.twitter.com/4thkRgUeZB

— U.S. Mission to the UN (@USUN) June 30, 2026

Board of Peace — a “biased political tool” of the Israeli occupation

Euro-Med Monitor says the endorsement of controversial narratives about UNRWA, rather than relying on international legal frameworks and UN resolutions, shows Trump’s Board is not a neutral mechanism for civilian protection or reconstruction.

Instead it functions as “a biased political tool designed to reshape Palestinian realities under the terms of the occupying power, at the expense of Palestinian rights.” Humanitarian aid, the human rights organisation says, should not be politicised or used as a tool to delegitimise UNRWA.

There has also been concern expressed over the Board’s legal perspective, which Euro-Med Monitor says “conflicts with international law.” UNRWA was established by the UN General Assembly, in 1949. This means no single country or political body can simply decide to replace it or end its role. But the Board is attempting to overstep the authority of the UN General Assembly, although it lacks the authority to do so.

Peace cannot be achieved by removing a UN mandated agency central to the Palestinian refugee issue. Instead, says Euro-Med Monitor, a lasting solution needs to address issues caused by “Israel”. These include displacement, apartheid, occupation, settler-colonialism, denial of Palestinian self-determination, and the right of return. This right is protected under international law and UN resolutions. It cannot be removed by weakening the institution responsible for supporting refugees. Accountability and respect for Palestinian rights also needs to be ensured.

Attempts to undermine and weaken UNRWA

The Board of Peace’s position seems to be aligned with long-running efforts to undermine UNRWA. So these proposals for a “new Gaza without UNRWA” should be seen as an attempt to weaken the agency and undermine its legal and political standing. This includes its connection to the Palestinian refugees’ internationally recognised right of return.

In 2025, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion, declaring states should not support or recognise measures weakening UNRWA. They should also not replace UN mandates with politically driven structures. The ICJ instead called for UNRWA’s continued financial support, protection of its facilities and staff, and unrestricted access for its operations in Gaza.

But this has not happened. UNRWA is intentionally being targeted by both “Israel” and the U.S. The U.S. was UNRWA’s largest single donor, but Trump has now stopped all financial contributions to the agency. This has led to around a £75 million cash deficit. Also, for eight decades, UNRWA has been considered part of the United Nations and therefore covered by the UN’s legal immunity. But Trump has now made it possible for UNRWA and its senior officials to face civil lawsuits in U.S. courts.

During this genocide “Israel” has killed more than 390 staff and affiliated workers. And more than 310 facilities have been damaged or destroyed. Many of these were used as shelters for civilians the Zionist regime had forcibly displaced.

International community must resist all efforts to undermine UNRWA

UNRWA currently provides essential services to around 5.9 million Palestinian refugees across Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. It was established under UN General Assembly Resolution 302 in 1949, and its mandate has been extended until June 2029.

The Israeli occupation has also obstructed UNRWA operations. It restricted international staff access to the occupied Palestinian territory for around 18 months. UNRWA’s headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem was illegally seized, bulldozed and burnt in January 2026. And UNRWA facilities, such as schools and healthcare centres have now also been closed down in East Jerusalem.

Euro-Med Monitor urges the international community and UN member states to resist efforts to undermine UNRWA. It calls on them to maintain funding commitments, ensure safe access for UNRWA personnel, and safeguard its facilities and immunities. It argues that irrespective of political backing, any political or administrative arrangement in Gaza sidelining UNRWA or weakening its mandate would lack international legitimacy.

Hamas calls UNRWA’s continued humanitarian work “a necessity.” This is especially true in light of “the humanitarian catastrophe created by the occupation in the Gaza Strip.” It calls for continued support for the agency, to ensure it continues to operate until Palestinians achieve their rights.

Featured image via Euro-Med Monitor