Discussions are underway for a United Nations investigation into the killing of more than 390 UNRWA employees during the two-year Israeli war on Gaza , the deadliest conflict in the agency's history, the organisation's head said Tuesday.
"I believe we need a high-level panel of experts to examine the killing of our staff," Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, said during a press conference in Geneva on the final day of his term.
He added that the matter had been raised with the office of the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, and with member states in New York.
"Part of the reason this has not yet been operationalised is that the conflict is still ongoing," Lazzarini noted, referring to Israel's continued airstrikes in Gaza despite the October ceasefire that supposedly ended the war.
For many UNRWA employees and the families of victims in the war-torn coastal enclave, the announcement raises more questions than answers.
Speaking with The New Arab , some employees wonder whether the investigation will truly hold those responsible accountable or remain a symbolic gesture, caught in the legal and political complexities surrounding the United Nations. Abandoned In Gaza , UNRWA employed over 10,000 staff, managing schools, health centres, and relief programs.
But many say the agency failed to protect them during the Israeli genocidal war and neglected them afterwards.
For families of slain employees, these failures have compounded grief with financial hardship and bureaucratic frustration.
A staff member in Gaza , speaking on condition of anonymity, told The New Arab , "We were in the humanitarian field, wearing the UN emblem, yet hundreds of us were killed. Today, the question everyone asks is: Will anyone be held accountable? Or will this case be closed with the passage of time?" "There is no clear mechanism to protect staff or advocate for them. Many of us felt abandoned, with little international pressure applied to safeguard our lives," he added.
The families of employees killed by the Israeli army also highlight administrative decisions that compounded their suffering.
Um Mohammed is still reeling from the death of her husband, an UNRWA educator killed in an Israeli airstrike last year. "He believed in humanitarian work above all else […] He spent long hours helping refugees, educating children, and ensuring access to essential services," she said to TNA .
Instead of support from UNRWA , the family was stunned to learn that her husband's salary had been cut.
"They claimed it was due to alleged ties to Hamas. That is completely untrue. He was a civil servant with no political affiliation," she added.
"How can he be killed while performing humanitarian work, and then his family be punished financially? Justice for us means more than a report. It means holding those responsible accountable and ensuring families are no longer punished after losing their loved ones," she stressed. Human cost of bureaucracy Some UNRWA employees were dismissed or suspended during the war, leaving many who felt betrayed sceptical about UNRWA's seriousness. "Instead of protecting staff, some found themselves suddenly without work. The agency was supposed to stand by its employees, especially during conflict," Mohammed, a former staff member, told TNA .
These dismissals followed Israeli allegations against some staff of complicity in the October 2023 attacks. Donor countries temporarily withheld funding, later reinstating it after internal investigations, but employees say the crisis left lasting scars.
The consequences are visible in daily life. Sarah, 25, daughter of a former UNRWA employee, told TNA that her family struggled after her father's salary was halted.
"We depended entirely on his income […] When it stopped, we struggled to afford even basic necessities. My father served the agency for over twenty years and never expected to be left without support."
Similarly, Um Yousef, a former nurse at a UNRWA clinic in Gaza , faced life-threatening challenges after being diagnosed with cancer.
During the war, she travelled to Egypt for treatment, relying on her UNRWA salary.
"Suddenly, it stopped without any explanation. I felt my life collapsing all over again," she told TNA . "I dedicated my life to serving refugees and the sick. How can a sick employee be abandoned without support? This is not just injustice, it is a violation of trust."
"If UNRWA could not protect its staff during the war, or support those who were sick or killed, how can we trust that justice will truly be achieved now?" she added. A test for international justice Legal experts warned that any investigation faces significant hurdles. Israel typically does not recognise international inquiries into its military operations, and UN fact-finding missions can take years to issue results. Political and legal obstacles may impede meaningful accountability.
Nonetheless, analysts note that documenting violations may play a critical role in keeping the issue visible internationally.
For families and surviving staff, the pressing question remains: will accountability follow, or will this investigation, like many before it, become another symbolic gesture?
As families await answers, the words of Umm Mohammed resonate: "My children still ask about their father. I tell them he worked for the people, but the question that haunts me is: Will those responsible be held accountable, or will he become just another number in a report?"
Meanwhile, UNRWA employees continue their work in Gaza under extraordinarily difficult conditions. Schools, clinics, and relief programs operate amidst damaged infrastructure, chronic shortages, and the ongoing psychological toll of conflict.