UNRWA chief sounds alarm on rising Israeli violence in the West Bank
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Last week, Israeli forces stormed an UNRWA health center in Al-Arroub refugee camp near Beit Lahm, turning it into a temporary detention site during yet another violent raid.
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A Palestinian woman walks along a destroyed road following an Israeli army raid in the West Bank Jenin refugee camp, Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025 (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)
At the Munich Security Conference, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini sounded the alarm over "Israel's" ongoing assault on Palestinian refugees, which has forced over 40,000 Palestinians to flee their homes in the West Bank, alongside systematic efforts to dismantle the agency that serves millions of refugees.
Lazzarini stressed that UNRWA is under attack from multiple fronts: Israeli military aggression, political restrictions aimed at crippling its operations, and a disinformation campaign designed to delegitimize its work.
"The agency's financial situation is more precarious than ever," he stated. "We operate from hand to mouth, with no clarity about the future." He warned that if these efforts succeed, the suffering of Palestinian refugees will only deepen, while their right to return will remain non-negotiable.
Ongoing Israeli Attacks on Refugees
Despite these challenges, UNRWA continues to provide life-saving assistance. In Gaza, the agency has delivered food aid to 1.5 million people, reopened health centers, and expanded healthcare services, providing 18,000 consultations daily. Meanwhile, in the West Bank, UNRWA schools educate 50,000 Palestinian children, and its health services remain operational despite Israeli military incursions.
But "Israel" continues to target UNRWA operations. Last week, Israeli forces stormed an UNRWA health center in Al-Arroub refugee camp near Beit Lahm, turning it into a temporary detention site during yet another violent raid. This attack is part of a broader strategy—since October 2023, Israeli forces have forcibly entered UNRWA facilities over 190 times, systematically undermining the agency's ability to function.
Read more: 'Bulldozer tore everything apart': Israeli invasion expands in Jenin
The escalation of violence in the West Bank has gone largely unreported, Lazzarini warned. The Israeli military has intensified its use of airstrikes, armored bulldozers, and forced displacements while Palestinian armed groups, in response, have deployed improvised explosive devices inside refugee camps. Refugees in the northern West Bank have faced particularly brutal crackdowns, with at least 40,000 people forcibly removed from their homes.
A Coordinated Campaign to Erase Palestinian Refugees
Lazzarini also exposed a global disinformation campaign aimed at discrediting UNRWA and stripping Palestinians of their refugee status. Billboards and advertisements falsely labeling UNRWA as a terrorist organization have appeared in major cities worldwide, funded directly by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Meanwhile, Google ad campaigns have been manipulated to redirect searches about UNRWA to websites filled with misinformation.
"These attacks are not just about UNRWA," Lazzarini warned. "They are part of a broader attempt to erase Palestinian refugee status and rewrite history." He also noted that 273 UNRWA staff members have been killed since the war began, many of them while trying to provide humanitarian aid.
Israeli Restrictions and US Complicity
Israeli policies aimed at crippling UNRWA's operations have further exacerbated the crisis. Legislation passed by the Israeli Knesset in January 2025 has officially banned UNRWA from operating in Israeli-controlled areas, including East al-Quds, and prohibits any coordination between the agency and Israeli authorities. These measures, combined with the suspension of funding by key Western donors—including the Biden administration before Trump reinstated the cuts—have left UNRWA on the brink of collapse.
On the issue of Palestinian displacement, Lazzarini condemned US-backed plans to forcefully resettle Gaza's population, calling them a blatant act of ethnic cleansing. He reaffirmed that Palestinian refugee rights exist independently of UNRWA's mandate, and that dismantling the agency will not erase their internationally recognized status.
"A Clear Choice" for the International Community
Concluding his remarks at the Munich Security Conference, Lazzarini issued a stark warning:
"A clear choice lies before us. We can allow UNRWA to collapse due to financial and political pressures, creating a vacuum that will deepen despair and fuel further resistance. Or we can work toward a structured transition within a political framework, ensuring that the agency's services are handed over to empowered Palestinian institutions."
