Philippe Lazzarini

UNRWA Commissioner-General - Leading agency operations despite Israeli restrictions

A severe winter storm killed at least 8 Palestinians in Gaza on January 13, 2026, collapsing war-damaged walls onto tent camps and freezing children to death overnight. The dead include a 7-day-old infant, a 1-year-old boy, and a 4-year-old girl who died of hypothermia—the latest in at least 23 cold-weather deaths since winter began. Over 1.1 million people remain in urgent need of shelter assistance as 81% of Gaza's structures have been destroyed or damaged.

Updated Jan 16

UNRWA Commissioner-General - Leading UN refugee agency banned from operating in Israeli territory

Israel banned 25 major aid groups—including Doctors Without Borders, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and CARE International—from Gaza starting January 1, 2026. The organizations refused to hand over lists of their Palestinian staff, citing security fears and European data laws. Israel said they failed vetting for activities that "delegitimize" the state, a term aid workers say has no clear definition. Ten countries—including the UK, France, Canada, and Japan—issued a joint statement calling the restrictions "unacceptable."

Updated Dec 30, 2025

Commissioner‑General of UNRWA - Warning that the raid sets a dangerous precedent against UN operations worldwide

Israeli police and municipal officials rolled into a quiet UN compound in East Jerusalem before dawn. Motorbikes, trucks and forklifts smashed through UNRWA’s former headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah, seizing equipment, cutting communications and hauling down the UN flag to raise Israel’s own. UN officials say it was an unauthorized raid on inviolable UN premises; Israeli authorities insist it was just a municipal debt-collection move.

Updated Dec 11, 2025