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Unrwa Head Seeks Investigation Into Killing of Staff in Gaza War
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 31, 2026
3 min readLast updated: March 31, 2026
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UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini called for a high‑level UN inquiry into the deaths of more than 390 of its staff in the Gaza war—the deadliest conflict in its history—and warned the agency’s survival is at risk.
UNRWA head seeks investigation into killing of staff in Gaza war
UNRWA Commissioner-General Calls for Inquiry Amid Ongoing Gaza Conflict
By Emma Farge
UN Investigation Sought for Staff Deaths
GENEVA, March 31 (Reuters) - Discussions are under way for a U.N. investigation into the killing of more than 390 employees in the two-year Gaza war, the head of the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency said on Tuesday, making it the deadliest conflict in the global body's history.
Call for High-Level Expert Panel
"I believe that we need to have a panel – a high-level panel of experts to look into the killing of our staff," said Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General at a press conference in Geneva on the last day of his term.
Engagement with UN Leadership
The topic has been raised with the office of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and with member states in New York, he said.
Challenges to Operationalizing the Investigation
"Part of the reason this has not (been) operationalised yet is there is still an ongoing conflict," he said, referring to Israel's continuing airstrikes in the enclave despite an October ceasefire that ended the Israel-Hamas war.
The Israeli diplomatic mission in Geneva did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Impact of Gaza War on Civilians and UNRWA Operations
Casualties and Humanitarian Crisis
More than 72,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war in Gaza began in October 2023, according to local health officials, following an attack on Israel by Hamas-led gunmen in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities.
Delays in Peace Plan Implementation
Delays in the implementing the second phase of a U.S. plan to end the Gaza war set to focus on disarming Hamas and an international security force were adding to Palestinians' misery, he said.
"People are still living in the rubble in Gaza, they are still queuing hours every day to have access to clean water," he said.
"It remains extremely grim, and the more the implementation of the next stage will be stalled, the more desperate people in Gaza will be."
Concerns Over Territorial Demarcation
He also voiced concerns that a so-called temporary 'yellow line' demarcating Israeli- and Hamas-controlled areas that is shutting Gazans out of about half of the crowded territory would endure.
Leadership Transition and Future of UNRWA
Lazzarini, who will be replaced temporarily by Britain's Christian Saunders, warned earlier this month that his organisation's viability was in doubt and that any collapse would result in Israel taking over its humanitarian work.
(Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Kate Mayberry and Arun Koyyur)
Key Takeaways
- •More than 390 UNRWA staff and partners have been killed in the Gaza conflict—making it the deadliest ever for the agency (vaticannews.va).
- •Lazzarini has proposed a high‑level UN expert panel to investigate the killings and has raised the issue with Secretary‑General Guterres and UN member states (vaticannews.va).
- •He warned that UNRWA’s viability is imperiled, and its collapse could force Israel to assume its humanitarian responsibilities (aljazeera.com).
References
Frequently Asked Questions about UNRWA head seeks investigation into killing of staff in Gaza war
1Why is UNRWA seeking an investigation?
UNRWA seeks a United Nations investigation after more than 390 staff were killed during the Gaza war, marking the deadliest conflict in the agency's history.
2Who called for the investigation?
Philippe Lazzarini, outgoing UNRWA Commissioner-General, called for a high-level panel to investigate the staff deaths.
3What is preventing the investigation from starting?
The ongoing conflict and continuous airstrikes in Gaza have delayed the operationalization of the investigation.
4How many UNRWA staff have been killed in the Gaza war?
More than 390 UNRWA employees have been killed since the Gaza war began in October 2023.
5What are the broader implications if UNRWA collapses?
If UNRWA collapses, its humanitarian work would potentially be taken over by Israel, according to Lazzarini.
