Hamas has issued a sharp rebuke of the Board of Peace’s decision to withhold support for the United Nations Relief Agency for Palestine Refugees, UNRWA, citing a deliberate effort to dismantle Palestinian aid and restrict the right of return to Gaza. The US-created Board’s decision, outlined on Friday, is interpreted by Hamas as a hostile stance aimed at ending UNRWA’s operations, effectively curtailing the agency’s vital role in providing assistance to Palestinians and limiting their ability to return to their homeland. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem stated on Saturday that the Board’s actions are ‘a complete alignment with the Zionist [Israeli] position’ and represent a calculated move to undermine UNRWA’s functions, hindering Gaza’s humanitarian access, and preventing the fulfillment of the ceasefire agreement and the cessation of Israeli military actions targeting Palestinians in the Strip. The Board’s initial statement on Friday confirmed that UNRWA’s involvement in Gaza remains unchanged, a point Hamas views as a deliberate obstruction of the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Qassem emphasized that Hamas will only collaborate with trusted partners dedicated to supporting Gaza’s residents and contributing to a demilitarized environment, contrasting the Board’s stated goals with the agency’s perceived failures in delivering aid and upholding the ceasefire. The Board’s stated intentions to work with UNRWA officials several times, as reported in the Associated Press, are viewed by Hamas as a betrayal of their mandate. A Board of Peace official, speaking anonymously, confirmed that members met with UNRWA officials several times, with the official stating that UNRWA’s programs could continue if they served Gaza’s residents well, but maintained that UNRWA’s days are ‘over’ – a phrase signifying the agency’s irrelevance in addressing the current situation. Philippe Lazzarini, the former head of UNRWA, highlighted the Board’s failure to deliver on its mandate, posting on X that Israeli authorities are still blocking basic aid shipments as part of a broader strategy to keep Gaza uninhabitable for Palestinians. Lazzarini urged that crossings be opened and supplies be supplied at scale to alleviate the humanitarian crisis. On the ground, Israeli forces continued to commit violations against Palestinians in Gaza, resulting in seven Palestinian fatalities in the past 48 hours, including one person who succumbed to injuries sustained prior to their death. In northern Gaza, Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian in Jabalia, and a drone strike near Joulis Street and al-Nouri Tower killed another person, resulting in further casualties. In al-Mawasi in Khan Younis, Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian in a drone strike, wounding several others, including a girl. Furthermore, Israeli forces opened fire on Salah al-Din Street in central Gaza, wounding several Palestinians, including a girl. In the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces stormed Birzeit University, raiding one of its buildings, and interrogating students. In Tulkarem, forces arrested Bashar Odeh after raiding his home in Shuweika, and interrogated others during home searches in Zeita. In Bethlehem governorate, Israeli forces closed the military gates at the entrances to western villages, preventing residents, including pedestrians, from passing. Raids continued across other localities, including the Qalandiya and Am’ari refugee camps. The Board of Peace’s actions are viewed as a deliberate attempt to undermine UNRWA’s operations and restrict the right of return to Gaza, according to Hamas’s statement.””””“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,”“,””,”“,””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””
Source: Al Jazeera
