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Philippe Lazzarini

Philippe Lazzarini

UNRWA Commissioner-General

Appears in 3 stories

Notable Quotes

"People are still living among the rubble, in unsafe shelters. There are tents that leak water and provide no protection. People are deprived of almost everything." — January 8, 2026

"The attacks on UNRWA are an assault on the multilateral system and a defiance of international law." — January 12, 2026

"People are still living among the rubble, in unsafe shelters. There are tents that leak water and provide no protection. People are deprived of almost everything." — January 8, 2026

Stories

Gaza's third winter without shelter

Force in Play

Leading agency operations despite Israeli restrictions

A severe winter storm struck Gaza on January 13, 2026, collapsing war-damaged walls and killing at least 8 Palestinians, including a 7-day-old infant, a 1-year-old boy, and a 4-year-old girl who died of hypothermia. Cold-weather deaths have reached at least 23 since winter began; over 1.1 million people need shelter and 81% of Gaza's structures are destroyed or damaged.

Updated May 20

Israel's squeeze on Gaza aid

Force in Play

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.

Updated May 18

Raid on UNRWA’s Jerusalem HQ tests UN immunity and Arab red lines

Force in Play

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 May 10