Former commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini warned that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) would leave an aid gap if closed without a successor. The Independent reported the warning in an interview published Oct. 17. Lazzarini told the paper, “We will create a vacuum.”
Lazzarini called Israel’s campaign against UNRWA unprecedented and said its long-term aim was to end Palestinian refugee status. The Independent reported that Israel’s Embassy in London rejected his criticism, citing concerns about the agency’s accountability and neutrality. Lazzarini’s term ended June 30, 2026, and the United Nations named Christian Saunders acting commissioner-general starting July 1.
The United Nations General Assembly created UNRWA in 1949. The agency provides services in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, and lists 5.9 million registered refugees. Israel’s Knesset passed two laws on Oct. 28, 2024, restricting UNRWA’s activity in territory Israel considers its sovereign territory and barring official contact between Israeli authorities and the agency. The Knesset passed an amendment 59-7 on Dec. 29, 2025, to cut utilities at properties listed under UNRWA’s name and let the state take control of certain land the agency uses.
Knesset sponsors cited allegations that UNRWA staff took part in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. UNRWA’s summary of a United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) investigation into 19 staff members said one case had no supporting evidence and nine lacked sufficient evidence. In the other nine cases, the agency said evidence could indicate involvement only “if authenticated and corroborated.”
In an Oct. 22, 2025, advisory opinion, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) said Israel had not supported its claim that a substantial share of UNRWA staff were members of Hamas or other terrorist factions. It also said Israel must permit and assist humanitarian operations conducted by U.N. bodies, including UNRWA.
At a Sept. 25, 2026, meeting, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said nearly 400 members of UNRWA’s Gaza workforce had been killed and hundreds of agency premises were inaccessible, severely damaged or destroyed. He cited a $100 million cash shortfall. Saunders said more than 10,000 UNRWA personnel in Gaza were assisting 1.7 million people, including through about 70,000 medical consultations each week. Voluntary contributions from U.N. member states and intergovernmental organizations made up more than 75% of the agency’s income in 2025, according to UNRWA. The General Assembly renewed its mandate through June 30, 2029.
