UNRWA chief warns of devastating impact of Israeli ban on agency

An overall view shows the United Nations Security Council during a meeting concerning the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) at UN headquarters in New York City on January 28, 2025. (AFP)

• Philippe Lazzarini: ‘To curtail our operations now would sabotage the fragile ceasefire (in Gaza) and deepen the suffering of millions of Palestinians’
• US ambassador: Washington fully supports ‘Israel’s sovereign decision’

NEW YORK: The commissioner general of the UN Relief and Works Agency issued a stark warning before the UN Security Council on Tuesday, calling on international leaders to intervene in the face of a new Israeli law that is set to cripple the agency’s operations in the Occupied Territories.
Philippe Lazzarini’s warning comes just days after a long-awaited ceasefire took hold in Gaza, offering hope for the millions of Palestinians whose lives have been shattered by almost a year and a half of conflict.
While the ceasefire has brought about the return of hostages and improved humanitarian aid flow, he emphasized that the fragile peace could be jeopardized by legislation passed by the Israeli Knesset that will severely restrict UNRWA’s ability to deliver essential services.
The Israeli law, set to take effect in two days, mandates the cessation of UNRWA’s operations in East Jerusalem and parts of the West Bank, threatening to leave Palestinian refugees without health care, education and emergency relief at a critical time.
UNRWA, which employs 13,000 staff across Gaza and operates 300 premises, has been a cornerstone of life for many Palestinians, providing essential services that many say no other entity can match.
“UNRWA is the largest UN presence in Gaza,” Lazzarini told the UNSC. “Our capacity to provide health care and education, particularly after the devastating losses in Gaza, is irreplaceable.
“To curtail our operations now would sabotage the fragile ceasefire and deepen the suffering of millions of Palestinians.”
Lazzarini’s warning was underscored by alarming statistics: A peer-reviewed study suggests that the death toll in Gaza, reported at 46,000 by the enclave’s Health Ministry, is likely an undercount by more than 40 percent. Most of the victims are women, children and the elderly.
Thousands of survivors are returning to their homes in the decimated north of Gaza, only to find their lives reduced to rubble and their families torn apart, he said.
Since the outbreak of hostilities in October 2023, UNRWA has been a lifeline for Gaza’s population, he added.
The agency has delivered two-thirds of all food assistance, provided shelter to over 1 million displaced individuals, and vaccinated 250,000 children against polio.
Since the ceasefire, UNRWA has accounted for 60 percent of all food entering Gaza, reaching over half a million people daily.
Lazzarini stressed that if the legislation is fully implemented, it would not only destabilize Gaza’s humanitarian situation but also set a dangerous precedent for international law, undermining the credibility of the UN and further eroding trust in the international community.
He pointed out that such actions defy UN resolutions and international legal rulings, including those by the International Court of Justice.
The Israeli government has argued that other entities could replace UNRWA’s services, but Lazzarini rejected this claim, stressing that only the agency has the infrastructure and expertise to deliver the critical services needed by millions of Palestinians.
He also criticized a growing disinformation campaign against UNRWA, funded by the Israeli Foreign Ministry, which has attempted to portray the agency as complicit in terrorism.
“These political attacks aim to strip Palestinians of their refugee status and erase their history and identity,” Lazzarini said.
“If UNRWA is no longer able to protect and assist Palestinian refugees, their rights to self-determination won’t vanish — they’ll only become more urgent.”
In his appeal to the international community, Lazzarini called for immediate action to prevent the legislation from taking effect, urging the UNSC to support UNRWA’s continued operations, ensure adequate funding, and facilitate a genuine political transition in the region.
He warned that without urgent intervention, the collapse of UNRWA would not only deepen the humanitarian crisis but also endanger the fragile peace in Gaza.
“The ceasefire must be followed by a political process that ensures the eventual handover of services to empowered Palestinian institutions,” he said. “UNRWA mustn’t be left to implode.”
As the international community grapples with these critical challenges, Lazzarini’s message was clear: The clock is ticking, and decisive action is needed to secure a future of peace and stability for Palestinians.
US Ambassador Dorothy Shea said it is “Israel’s sovereign decision to close UNRWA’s offices in Jerusalem,” and expressed American support for its implementation.  
“UNRWA exaggerating the effects of the laws and suggesting that they’ll force the entire humanitarian response to halt is irresponsible and dangerous,” she added.
“UNRWA isn’t, and never has been, the only option for providing humanitarian assistance in Gaza. Many other agencies have experience and expertise to do this work and have done this work.  
“UNRWA’s work has been tainted and its credibility questioned due to the terrorist ties to Hamas that UNRWA staff had that were exposed as a result of Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack.”   
With less than 48 hours left before the ban takes effect, the UN is uncertain what the next move will be.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the organization will continue to do whatever it can to support the Palestinian population “that’s entitled to UNRWA’s services.”
He added that “we’re all moving into uncharted and complex waters,” and that the “UNRWA footprint can’t be replaced by other UN agencies.”