UNRWA

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. Established in 1949 to provide services to Palestinians displaced in the 1948 war. Unlike UNHCR (which resettles refugees), UNRWA registers refugee status across generations and provides education, healthcare, and social services in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. UNRWA is the primary service provider in Gaza and employs approximately 13,000 staff there. Documented concerns: In January 2024, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini acknowledged that the UN had received information that 9 or more UNRWA staff members participated in the October 7 attack; multiple donor nations suspended funding pending review. Israeli intelligence assessed broader staff involvement. IMPACT-se has documented antisemitic content in UNRWA-administered school curriculum. IDF operations found Hamas military infrastructure beneath and adjacent to UNRWA facilities in Gaza. A subsequent UN review (Colonna Report, April 2024) found UNRWA had taken insufficient steps to neutralize political activity within the organization.