Trump's Board of Peace says Unrwa has 'no place' in Gaza

What Happened

The Trump administration's 'Board of Peace' declared that UNRWA 'has no place in new Gaza' during the annual UN pledging conference on Tuesday. US Ambassador Jeff Bartos called on nations to stop funding UNRWA and instead direct financial support to the US-led Board, stating, 'You can choose to fund incitement, terrorism, and stagnation, or you can choose to fund the Board of Peace.' The statement comes amid an Israeli ban since March 2025 on UNRWA operations in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, which UNRWA says has left it unable to distribute warehouses full of aid, including food parcels, flour, and shelter supplies for hundreds of thousands of people. Separately, Israeli media reported that the Board of Peace is set to launch 'Hamas-free humanitarian zones' in Gaza, with the first site in Tel Sultan near Rafah opening 'within weeks,' policed by an International Stabilisation Force equipped with non-lethal weapons and operating from the Israeli Amitai Camp near Gaza under the Board's command. The Palestinian Authority rejected the Board's comments, affirming UNRWA as 'an indispensable lifeline' and 'essential role' in education, healthcare, and emergency assistance.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The US move to dismantle UNRWA and replace it with a Board-run mechanism signals a fundamental shift in the humanitarian architecture in Gaza, potentially consolidating Israeli control over aid and civilian movement. If implemented, the 'Hamas-free zones' would create de facto population containment areas under multinational policing but Israeli command, reshaping the conflict's civilian landscape and eroding the established UN-led relief framework that has existed for decades.

Watch For

Opening of the first 'Hamas-free humanitarian zone' in Tel Sultan, Rafah, reportedly within weeks; details of the International Stabilisation Force's composition and mandate; donor country reactions to the US defunding push; legal or operational challenges to the Israeli ban on UNRWA; and further restrictions at Kerem Shalom and new checkpoints impacting aid flow, as reported by OCHA.