United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) is facing a dangerous juncture that threatens its effective survival, stressing that there is a severe financial deficit exceeding $100 million.
Speaking before the General Assembly Ad Hoc Committee on Voluntary Contributions to UNRWA, Guterres condemned the illegal seizure and demolition of UNRWA headquarters in East Jerusalem last January, pointing to the reduction in staff salaries and reduced working hours to provide services by 20% due to austerity measures.
Guterres explained that a further reduction in UNRWA funding could push the situation beyond the breaking point, saying: "As we gather here today, the safety and well-being of millions of Palestine refugees is at stake."
UNRWA faces "comprehensive constraints throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and a severe lack of liquidity threatens its work in the entire region," Guterres said, expressing shock "at the ongoing efforts to marginalize and undermine UNRWA through disinformation campaigns, legislative actions, operational constraints, diplomatic obstructions and other matters."
Guterres touched on the "absolutely appalling" living conditions in the Gaza Strip, violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, as well as Israeli raids on Lebanon.
Guterres described the situation inside the Gaza Strip as "absolutely appalling", with Palestinians facing the risk of epidemics and acute hunger, stressing that UNRWA is the backbone of regional stability to provide care for 2.6 million refugees.
Guterres stressed that the Agency is facing extensive restrictions across the occupied Palestinian territory, in addition to a cash crisis that threatens its ability to continue its work in its various areas of operation, explaining that UNRWA's mandate is based on a mandate from the United Nations General Assembly and was renewed six months ago with the broad support of Member States, noting that the Agency provides vital services to about 2.6 million people in need.
Guterres stressed that UNRWA's support reflects the international community's continued responsibility towards Palestine refugees, warning that the lack of financial resources will have serious repercussions for the entire region.
He stressed that UNRWA is a key factor for stability in a period of increasing turmoil, making its protection and funding a humanitarian and political necessity that cannot be ignored.
Israel kills 3 Palestinians in Gaza
On the ground, three Palestinians, including a child, were killed and 19 others were wounded in raids launched by the Israeli occupation aircraft since yesterday afternoon, Tuesday, targeting various areas in the north and south of the Gaza Strip.
Medical sources and eyewitnesses confirmed that an Israeli drone targeted the Al-Mawasi area, west of the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, killing 3 Palestinians and wounding 17 others, after which they were transferred to hospitals.
The same sources reported that two Palestinians were seriously injured in towns in northern Gaza, following drone strikes targeting rooftops in the vicinity of Abu Sharkh roundabout in the Fallujah area, west of Jabalia refugee camp, and Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, north of Gaza City.
Ambulance crews recovered the body of a Palestinian killed in a previous Israeli shelling in the vicinity of Kuwait Roundabout in the Zaytoun neighborhood in southeastern Gaza, where he was transferred directly to the city's Ma'amdani Hospital.
Palestinian medical sources in Gaza revealed that the ongoing Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement have resulted in the death of 1,053 Palestinians and the injury of 3,406 others since October 2025.
Raids and arrests in the West Bank
Palestinian security sources announced that the occupation forces raided the town of Ni'lin, west of Ramallah, at dawn on Wednesday, and arrested four citizens: Muhammad Abdul Karim Sorour, Shukri Mahmoud Al-Khawaja, Yousef Ali Sorour, and Musa Abdul Karim Sorour, after raiding and searching their homes.
The sources indicated that the occupation forces raided the "Batn Al-Hawa" neighborhood in the heart of Ramallah, and arrested the two citizens, Jamila Dahou and Jamila Kanaan, from their homes.
On the other hand, the Palestinian Prisoners' Club and the Prisoners' Affairs Commission confirmed in a joint statement that the occupation forces arrested at least 20 citizens from various governorates of the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, since yesterday evening until Wednesday morning.
The club explained that among the detainees are five women active in community work, warning of the dangerous Israeli escalation and the targeting of women through night raids and arrests as hostages, pointing out that the number of female prisoners in the occupation prisons has risen to 99 prisoners living in very tragic and harsh conditions, while the number of detained journalists has increased to 42 male and female journalists.
The human rights organizations stated that the total number of arrests carried out by the occupation authorities has exceeded 24,000 cases of arrests in the West Bank since the beginning of the genocide, as part of the policy of systematic collective punishment.
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