Gaza Herald – Hundreds of Palestinians gathered Tuesday outside the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) headquarters in western Gaza City, protesting attempts to dismantle the agency and end its mandate for Palestinian refugees.
Organized by the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s Refugee Affairs Department, protesters held banners and chanted slogans calling for the renewal of UNRWA’s international mandate. They stressed that the agency exists until refugees can return to their homes and described its services as a legal right, not mere assistance. Demonstrators rejected Israeli and U.S. efforts to replace UNRWA with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
Speakers warned that ending UNRWA’s role would have severe consequences for refugees’ right of return and basic rights. Protesters also condemned recent agency decisions cutting staff, reducing salaries, and shortening work hours, arguing these moves harm essential services including education, health, and relief.
Palestinian Ghassan Muslih said participants focused on two demands: restoring UNRWA’s full mandate and reversing arbitrary staff dismissals by senior management. Hala Al-Naji added that some staff had been forced to leave Gaza due to the Israeli genocidal war, and the protest brought people from multiple governorates in solidarity.
The demonstration came after UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini announced mid-January reductions in weekly work hours for service delivery amid an unprecedented financial crisis, with the new schedule applied starting February 1.
