Trump's Gaza 'Peace Council' says no role for UNRWA in post-war plan

The U.S.-led "Peace Council" established by President Donald Trump after the Gaza war said the post-war administration of the territory will not include the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). In a post on X, the council said permanent aid had been delivered and the cycle of conflict had ended, adding that "the people of Gaza deserve better." The statement, which referenced the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations criticizing UNRWA, presented member states with a choice: fund either UNRWA or the Peace Council. It marks the first time the council has directly targeted the agency, following a long-running Israeli campaign against UNRWA since the start of the war. UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged the international community on Monday to close UNRWA's $100 million funding shortfall, warning that the agency is nearing collapse under austerity measures and cuts. UNRWA provides aid, education, health care and social support to roughly 2.6 million Palestinians across Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. The United States suspended funding to UNRWA in January 2024 after Israel accused 12 agency staff of involvement in the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.