The Board of Peace established by US President Donald Trump declared that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has “no place in the new Gaza” and called on international donors to redirect funding from the agency to Board-led humanitarian initiatives.
In a post on X, the Board of Peace said: “UNRWA has no place in the new Gaza. We are turning the page on the complex of perpetual aid dependency & conflict. The people of Gaza deserve better.”
UNRWA has no place in the new Gaza. We are turning the page on the complex of perpetual aid dependency & conflict. The people of Gaza deserve better. https://t.co/MttkJqX1Np
— Board of Peace (@BoardOfPeace) July 1, 2026
The account also reposted an earlier message from the US Mission to the United Nations that urged member states to reconsider financial support for the agency: “UN Member States have a choice: Fund incitement, terrorism, and stagnation with pledges to UNRWA.”
It continued: “Or fund the Board of Peace, giving Gazans a path to peace and prosperity. History will not forget.”
The Board described its proposal as an effort to end what it called “perpetual aid dependency.” Under its plan, the Board of Peace would oversee “Hamas-free” humanitarian shelters and relief operations inside Gaza.
Speaking at the annual UN pledging conference, US Ambassador Jeff Bartos also called on governments to halt contributions to UNRWA, describing continued funding as a decision to “fund incitement, terrorism, and stagnation.”
The proposal drew immediate criticism from the League of Arab States and the United Nations, both of which said UNRWA’s mandate is established by the UN. General Assembly and cannot be ended unilaterally.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also appealed to donor countries to help address the agency’s fnancial shortfall as efforts continue to replace its operations.
Israel has presented intelligence indicating that UNRWA employees were members of Hamas and other terrorist organizations and that some participated in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. A subsequent UN investigation found sufficient evidence to dismiss nine UNRWA employees for possible involvement in the attack. Israel has since ended cooperation with UNRWA, barred many of its operations on Israeli territory, and called for the agency to be replaced by alternative humanitarian organizations.
The latest statements from the Board of Peace and U.S. officials reflect a broader effort to shift international humanitarian assistance in Gaza away from UNRWA and toward alternative mechanisms managed by the Board.
