Hamas Condemns Board Of Peace For Refusing To Work With UNRWA, Accusing It Of Aligning With Israel

Hamas has strongly criticised the US-established Board of Peace after the body publicly said it will not work with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, and indicated the agency will have no role in Gaza.

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said on Saturday the Board's decision represented 'a complete alignment with the Zionist [Israeli] position' and was intended to end UNRWA's operations, block delivery of humanitarian aid and undermine Palestinian refugees' right of return.

The Board of Peace said on Friday that 'UNRWA's involvement in Gaza is unchanged' but added in a post on X that it would 'only work with trusted partners who will deliver for the people of Gaza and contribute to a deradicalized Strip,' asserting that 'UNRWA fails on those litmus tests.'

'It is strange for the Peace Council to adopt this hostile stance towards UNRWA while simultaneously failing to provide aid to Gaza or compel the occupation to abide by the ceasefire and halt daily killings,' Qassem said.

Established in 1949, UNRWA has for decades provided education and humanitarian assistance to Palestinian refugees and is regarded by many Palestinians as an institution that helps preserve their national rights, including the right of return. Israel has repeatedly called for major changes to, or the dismantling of, the agency.

The Associated Press reported that, despite the Board's public posture, some members have engaged with UNRWA privately. At a UN General Assembly briefing this week, Board officials listed several UN agencies as partners but did not name UNRWA. An anonymous Board official told The AP that meetings with UNRWA officials had taken place and that UNRWA programmes could continue if they demonstrably served Gaza residents, while saying 'UNRWA's days are over.'

Philippe Lazzarini, who led UNRWA until earlier this year, said members of a Palestinian technocratic committee appointed by the Board had expressed a desire to work with the agency. On Thursday he accused the Board of failing to deliver on its mandate and criticised Israeli restrictions that he said were blocking basic aid 'as part of a wider plan to keep Gaza unlivable for Palestinians.' He urged that border crossings be opened and supplies allowed in at scale.

On-the-Ground Violence

Violence and security operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank continued. Gaza's Ministry of Health reported that Israeli attacks killed seven Palestinians across the Strip in the past 48 hours, including one person who later died of earlier wounds. Local news agency Wafa said Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian in Jabalia and that an Israeli drone strike near Joulis Street and al-Nouri Tower in the Nuseirat refugee camp killed another person and wounded others.

In Khan Younis, an Israeli drone strike in the al-Mawasi area wounded several people, including a girl, and artillery fire struck areas east of the city. A quadcopter reportedly opened fire on Salah al-Din Street in central Gaza, wounding three people, including a child.

In the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces raided a building at Birzeit University in Ramallah while students were sitting final exams, according to Wafa. Security operations also included the arrest of Bashar Odeh in Tulkarem after a home raid in Shuweika, searches and interrogations in Zeita, and road closures at military gates in parts of Bethlehem governorate. Raids were also reported in the Qalandiya and Am'ari refugee camps.

Reporting for this article includes statements from Hamas, the Board of Peace, UNRWA figures and local Palestinian authorities, as well as coverage from The Associated Press and Palestinian news agency Wafa.