UNRWA Chief Warns of “Political Motivation” to Strip Palestinian Refugee Status Amid Deepening Gaza Crisis
GAZA CITY — UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini has issued a stark warning regarding the future of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, asserting that persistent calls for its dismantling are driven by a calculated political agenda rather than operational concerns. Speaking to reporters amid worsening humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip, Lazzarini stated, “It is true also that they continue to be political pressure to get rid of the agency, because the main political motivation is to strip the Palestinian from the refugee status.”
The Commissioner-General’s comments come as the agency faces an existential threat from both funding shortfalls and legislative bans. Lazzarini argued that removing UNRWA would not resolve the underlying conflict but would instead unilaterally erase the rights of millions of Palestinians recognized under international law. “If you get rid of UNRWA, you do not get rid of the refugees,” he noted, emphasizing that the agency’s mandate is a symptom of a failed political solution, not the cause.
Deep Search: The Battle Over Refugee Definitions
At the heart of this political struggle is a fundamental disagreement over how “refugee” is defined.
UNRWA vs. UNHCR Models: Critics of UNRWA often point to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as the standard. unlike UNHCR, which focuses on resettling refugees to end their status, UNRWA’s mandate—established by the UN General Assembly—allows refugee status to be passed down to descendants.
The “Right of Return”: This unique definition preserves the “right of return” for millions of Palestinians to homes in what is now Israel. Lazzarini’s warning highlights that shifting Palestinians to UNHCR criteria could technically “erase” the refugee status of the vast majority of registered Palestinians, effectively nullifying the right of return negotiation point without a peace treaty.
Operational Reality: Humanitarian experts note that UNRWA provides quasi-state services like education and healthcare that no other organization, including the UNHCR, is currently equipped to deliver at scale in Gaza or the West Bank.
Objections and Israeli Criticism
Israeli officials and critics of the agency vehemently reject Lazzarini’s characterization, arguing that the agency itself is an obstacle to peace.
Perpetuating Conflict: Israel’s government has long contended that by granting refugee status to descendants in perpetuity, UNRWA keeps the conflict alive and encourages unrealistic expectations of a mass return that would end Israel’s character as a Jewish state.
Terror Allegations: The pressure to dismantle the agency intensified significantly after Israel alleged that several UNRWA employees participated in the October 7 attacks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that UNRWA has been “totally infiltrated” by Hamas, arguing that aid should be distributed by other agencies or nations that do not “educate for terrorism.”
Legislative Action: These security concerns culminated in the Knesset passing legislation to ban UNRWA from operating within Israeli territory and restricting state contact with the agency, a move officials argue is necessary for national security.
Background: A Mandate Under Fire
Established in 1949, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) was intended as a temporary measure following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
Scope: Today, it serves nearly 6 million registered refugees across Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.
Current Crisis: The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains catastrophic, with reports of “man-made” famine conditions in northern areas. UNRWA remains the logistical backbone of the international aid response, coordinating the entry of food, water, and medicine.
Funding Freezes: Following the terror allegations, several major donor countries temporarily paused funding, though many have since resumed support citing the lack of a viable alternative for aid distribution.
As the political deadlock continues, Lazzarini warned that the collapse of UNRWA would not only deepen the humanitarian disaster in Gaza but also destabilize the wider region by removing the primary social safety net for millions of stateless people.
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