Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 31, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 26, 2026
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UNRWA warns that halting aid in Gaza could jeopardize the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, risking Middle East stability.
GENEVA (Reuters) - The U.N. Palestinian relief agency UNRWA said on Friday that if its humanitarian work in Gaza is forced to halt, it would put a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas at risk.
The agreement has paused a 15-month-old war between Israel and Gaza's rulers Hamas that has decimated the Gaza Strip, killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and destabilised the Middle East.
The deal has allowed for a surge in humanitarian aid and enabled the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza and Palestinian detainees from Israeli jails.
"If UNRWA is not allowed to continue to bring and distribute supplies, then the fate of this very fragile ceasefire is going to be at risk and is going to be in jeopardy," Juliette Touma, director of communications of UNRWA, told a Geneva press briefing.
For now, its work in Gaza and elsewhere continues despite an Israeli ban that was due to take effect on Jan. 30, she added.
However, she said that its Palestinian staff located in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are facing difficulties, citing examples of stone-throwing and hold-ups at checkpoints.
"They face an exceptionally hostile environment as a fierce disinformation campaign against UNRWA continues," she said.
(Reporting by Emma Farge, Editing by Miranda Murray)
UNRWA stated that if its humanitarian work is forced to halt, it would jeopardize the fragile ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
The ceasefire agreement has allowed for a surge in humanitarian aid and enabled the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza and Palestinian detainees from Israeli jails.
UNRWA staff in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are facing difficulties such as stone-throwing incidents and hold-ups at checkpoints.
As of now, UNRWA's work in Gaza continues despite an Israeli ban that was set to take effect on January 30.
UNRWA staff are facing an exceptionally hostile environment, compounded by a fierce disinformation campaign against the agency.
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