Discussions are underway about creating an independent, high-level investigation into the killing of more than 390 staff members of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) during the two-year Gaza conflict, the agency's outgoing commissioner said.
At a press conference in Geneva held on the last day of his term, Philippe Lazzarini said he believes a panel of experts should be convened to examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths. He said the proposal has been raised with the office of the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and with member states in New York.
"I believe that we need to have a panel - a high-level panel of experts to look into the killing of our staff," Lazzarini said. He added that part of the reason the panel has not yet been operationalised is the continuation of active hostilities, citing ongoing Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza enclave despite an October ceasefire that ended the Israel-Hamas war.
The conflict, which began in October 2023 following an attack on Israel by gunmen aligned with Hamas, has been marked by severe casualties. Local health officials report that more than 72,000 Palestinians have been killed since the outset of the fighting. Israeli authorities say about 1,200 people were killed in the initial attack on Israel and 251 were taken hostage.
Lazzarini will be temporarily succeeded by Britain’s Christian Saunders. Earlier this month the outgoing commissioner warned that UNRWA's viability was in doubt, and said that a collapse of the agency would mean Israel stepping in to take over its humanitarian work.
The call for an expert panel addresses both the immediate need to account for the deaths of humanitarian personnel and the broader question of the agency's capacity to continue operating under extreme conditions. Lazzarini said he has already discussed the idea at senior levels in the United Nations system and with member states, but that the ongoing security situation remains a practical barrier to launching a formal inquiry.
Context note - The proposals and statements cited here reflect remarks made at the Geneva press conference on the last day of the commissioner's term and subsequent discussions referenced with U.N. offices and member states.