UNRWA: the aid agency Israel set out to dismantle

UNRWA is the backbone of aid in Gaza. Israel accused its staff, cut it off by law, and hundreds of its workers were killed. An independent review found Israel had not backed its main claim with evidence.

The lifeline

UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestine refugees, runs schools, clinics and food distribution for millions of people. In Gaza, where about seven in ten people are refugees from 1948 and their descendants, it was the largest humanitarian organization on the ground.

The allegations

In January 2024, Israel alleged that 12 UNRWA staff had taken part in the 7 October attack. Major donors suspended funding within days. An independent review led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna reported in April 2024 that Israel had not provided supporting evidence for its wider claim that a significant number of UNRWA staff were members of armed groups.

Banned by law

In October 2024, the Knesset passed two laws by large majorities: one banning UNRWA from operating in Israeli territory, and one barring Israeli authorities from any contact with it, crippling its work in Gaza and the West Bank. UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned the ban would have catastrophic consequences.

Staff killed

By August 2025, nearly 360 UNRWA personnel had been killed in Gaza, according to the agency's Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, the highest number of UN staff killed in any conflict. UNRWA schools sheltering displaced families were struck repeatedly.

Watch NAZA

"나자"는 부수적 피해를 뜻하는 이스라엘군 은어로, 한 번의 공습에서 장교가 죽여도 되는 민간인의 수를 말합니다. 이 다큐멘터리에서 군의 가장 명망 높은 부대 출신이 다수인 이스라엘 정보장교와 병사 24명이 가자에서 그 숫자가 어떻게 정해지고, 승인되고, 초과되었는지 설명합니다. 그들의 얼굴과 목소리는 변조되었습니다.

지금 극장 상영 중이며, 극장 상영 후에는 theguardian.com에서 전 세계 무료로 볼 수 있습니다.