Defined by UNRWA since 1949 as the displaced Palestinian population and their descendants
UNRWA’s Qalandiya Training Centre, which trains about 340 Palestinian refugees each year, has been raided and closed by Israeli forces. Staff have been expelled, and materials are being removed as the site is eyed for a new educational complex by Jerusalem authorities. UNRWA says the move deprives students of vital vocational training and worsens a broader funding and legal fight surrounding the agency.
UNRWA remains Gaza’s key health and education provider while a Board of Peace faces pressure over its plan to govern Gaza. Talks with UNRWA continue behind the scenes; reconstruction remains stalled a year after the ceasefire, and funding shortages threaten essential services.
Protests across Gaza and the West Bank have intensified over UNRWA funding shortfalls and planned staff dismissals, with unions and Palestinian groups demanding restored services and sustainable donor support. The protests highlight concerns over health, education and relief services for Palestinian refugees amid ongoing financial pressure on UNRWA.