‘We will suffocate’: Palestinian refugees at Gaza Forte Unrwa Ban | Israel-Palestine News of Conflict

With the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) Stop working in Israel And the occupied territory on Thursday, many Palestinians are afraid of implications on their lives and future.

During the duration of the 15-month war of Israel against Gaza, which eradicated most of its population and reduced most of the enclaves to the ruins, UNRWA was a critical life of support by 2.3 million stranded Palestinians, even when the humanitarian stocks decreased.

Besides UNRWA A critical humanitarian role, refugees – made up of 71 percent of the Gaza population – fearing that they will be left with their family’s original homes or the right to ever return to a country that was once historic Palestine and is now Israel.

Ever since the creation served and managed hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in 1949, which had been previously previously previously displaced by Israeli for the Israeli creation, UNRWA symbolized the hope that refugees would return home.

Sitting in front of the remains of her destroyed home in Khan Younis, 74-year-old Abu Nael Hamoud describes the UNRWA as a “saving line through generations”, which equally provided education, health care and food during peace and war.

“Unrwa is a lung from which Palestinian refugees breathe,” says Hamoud, who originally comes from what was once Palestinian city of Majdal. He was forced to evacuate Majdal as a child because he became part of Ashkelon in Israel.

“We would suffocate without him. My children and grandchildren went to UNRWA schools, we treated in the UNRWA hospitals, and that helped us to make our roofs over our heads.”

In October 2024. Israeli Knesset brought two laws: one marked UNRWA as so -called “Terrorist” organization and others forbid him to act in Gaza and the occupied west coast. While Israel claims that UNRWA supports “terrorism” by providing the help of Hamas, the rule has pulled criticism of most of the international community, including some of the closest allies of Israel.

While the recent Israel-hama stopped fire brought shipments to Gaza from Up to 600 trucks a day Possible, the absence of UNRWA, the largest organization for help in the tape, is a significant risk for its residents.

For families like Hamoud, who relied on the agency for generations, the absence of UNRWA is not just a logistical challenge; It represents “the death penalty for millions of Palestinian refugees, in Gaza and beyond,” he says.

Filling in the gap

As the deadline for closing UNRWA is approaching, refugees are left to wonder what will happen next, especially after the President of the United States Donald Trump invited Palestinians in Gaza to move to Egypt and Jordan, a proposal rejected by Palestinian leaders, UN and Egypt and Jordan, and threatens to add more refugees 5.9 million which are scattered in Palestine and around the world.

In southern Gazi refugee camp Khan Younis, Abu Ahmed Hamad, father 10 who was forced to leave his home in Beit Hanoon in north of Gaza to run into violence, reflects on the reliance of his family to the agency during peace and war. Both he and his wife hold the UNRWA ID card.

“Unrwa is a savior,” Hamad says. “For us, this was a safe haven – providing food, shelters and health care, and even recreational activities for our children during the war.”

Despite the efforts of other humanitarian organizations, Hamad is skeptical about whether I can replace the comprehensive UNRWA services. “The war has proven that UNRWA is the most capable of handling crisis. Other groups acted, but they barely covered a fraction of the needs of the Palestinian people,” he says, citing a pure number of UNRWA workers in numerous wars imposed on Palestinians.

“Palestinians are the ones who know the most important importance of UNRWA -ei why it is targeted, especially Israel and the US. The replacement of any other organization is in vain for Palestinians and a serious victory for interest,” he emphasizes. “It’s the deletion of Palestinian refugee cause.”

Palestinian identity symbol

The establishment of an agency in 1949 is directly related to the resolution of 194 United Nations, which confirms the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and receive a fee for their losses.

Many Palestinians see the agency as a key pillar in their struggle for justice and recognition, and consider it not only a loss of vital services, but also as an attack on this fundamental right.

“This is bigger than help,” says Ibrahim Abdel Qader, a refugee from Khan Younis Camp. “What they try to do is delete the refugee question and the right to return.”

Sami Mshash, an expert on Palestinian refugee problems and former UNRWA spokesman, claims that Israel has a hard time hit the agency.

“Unrwa is in many ways central,” Mshash says. “Israeli actions against UNRWA have a huge political devastation for refugees in Gaza, the western coast, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, not to mention the symbolic significance in the exclusion of its 70-year seat in [occupied East] Jerusalem Sheikh Jarrah. “

Mshasha notes that more than 200 UNRWA facilities in Gaza were destroyed and hundreds of staff members were killed during the war. It is in addition to huge financial reductions that affect the agency’s ability to fulfill its responsibility. The agency has launched a weak emergency complaint for $ 464 million, “but that amount drops far from $ 1.7 billion, which he takes a year to maintain his business at five major locations in which he operates,” he notes.

The US, the key donor of the UNRWA, are also criticized for his support from Israel’s actions. In January 2024, the Biden administration reduced the agencies after the statement of Israel that 12 out of 13,000 members of the staff were involved in the attack on October 7th to Israel, which was carried out by Hamas, worsening financial stress.

Bad Palestinian response

Mshasha also criticizes the UNRWA leadership for resolving the ban. “There is no clear plan of the highest management agency for movement in crisis, despite 13,000 staff in Gaza ready to serve,” the expert adds.

He questions why UNRWA General Philippe Lazzarini has yet to visit Gaza. “He is one of the highest UN officials in the Middle East. He should be on Earth, ensuring that UNRWA starts recovering instead of leaving Gaza to just move this crisis,” Mshash says.

While Israel continues its efforts to undermine UNRWA, the Agency must respond with decisive measures. “Yes, the General Commissioner faces Israeli pressure, but the scale of the gauze catastrophe requires a stronger answer and a clear recovery plan. Otherwise the situation will only get worse,” Mshash adds.

Hamoud, a 74-year-old who has lived through more wars and displacement, is afraid of the future of her family while the prohibition enters into force. He does not want to face these disabilities without an agency that maintained them for generations.

“If Unrwa goes, we won’t have anything left,” he says. “We can’t survive without it. That’s the only thing that kept us alive.”

This part was published in collaboration with Egab.