Hamas Criticizes Board of Peace for Excluding UNRWA from Gaza Operations

Hamas has condemned the Board of Peace’s decision not to collaborate with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and to state that the agency will have no role in Gaza. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem described the Board’s decision as a complete alignment with Israel, aimed at ending UNRWA’s operations and preventing aid delivery to Palestinians. The Board of Peace stated on Friday that UNRWA’s involvement in Gaza remains unchanged, asserting that they will only work with trusted partners who can contribute to a deradicalized Gaza Strip. Qassem criticized the Board for adopting a hostile stance towards UNRWA while failing to provide aid to Gaza or compel Israel to adhere to ceasefire agreements. UNRWA, established in 1949, has provided aid and education services to Palestinian refugees and is seen by Palestinians as a protector of their right to return, while Israel seeks its dismantlement. The Associated Press reported that Board of Peace members had previously been more willing to work with UNRWA than their public statements indicated. During a briefing to the UN General Assembly, officials named several UN agencies as partners, excluding UNRWA. An anonymous Board of Peace official confirmed that board members had met with UNRWA officials multiple times, stating that UNRWA’s programs could continue if they benefited Gaza’s residents, but maintained that the agency's days are over. Philippe Lazzarini, former head of UNRWA, criticized the Board for not fulfilling its mandate and highlighted ongoing Israeli blockades of basic aid. He emphasized the need for increased aid access to Gaza. On the ground, Israeli actions against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank continued, with reports of seven Palestinian fatalities in the past 48 hours due to Israeli attacks. Specific incidents included an Israeli drone strike in Jabalia and artillery shelling in Khan Younis. In the West Bank, Israeli forces raided Birzeit University during student examinations and conducted arrests in Tulkarem and Bethlehem, while military gates were closed to restrict movement in western villages.