Lazzarini Calls for High-Level Commission to Investigate Deaths of 390 UNRWA Workers in Gaza
MOSCOW — The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, whose term ends on Tuesday (31 March 2026), has called for an investigation into the murder of 390 humanitarian workers during the armed conflict in the Gaza Strip.
“I believe we need to establish a commission, a high-level expert panel, to investigate the murder of our staff,” he said during a press conference in Geneva.
The issue has been raised by the office of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and in dialogues with UN member states in New York, he added. Lazzarini also stated that the absence of such an investigation to date is due to the ongoing conflict.
He further cited Israel’s continued attacks in the area despite ceasefire agreements. The agency is on the verge of closure due to a lack of funding and several actions taken to weaken it, thereby threatening the protection of Palestinian rights, he added. UNRWA reports that more than 390 humanitarian workers and UN staff have been killed since the latest conflict in Gaza erupted in October 2023.
In January 2025, an Israeli law banning UNRWA activities came into effect. Israeli authorities cited alleged evidence involving some of the agency’s employees in the 7 October 2023 attack by Palestinian militants, as well as the use of UNRWA infrastructure in the area for militant activities, as the legal basis for this.
UNRWA’s daily report, cited by Republika from unrwa.org, reveals that the suffering of the Palestinian people has not yet ended. Based on the latest data from the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) reported by OCHA up to 25 March 2026, the number of fatalities from the aggression that began in October 2023 has reached 72,265 martyrs, with at least 171,959 other civilians suffering injuries.
Amid the rain of bombs and total blockade, UNRWA has also had to pay a very high price. As of 31 March, 391 UNRWA staff have fallen while carrying out their sacred humanitarian duties. This figure consists of 310 organic personnel and 81 supporting volunteers. This loss marks the darkest chapter in the history of UN aid operations worldwide.