Philippe Lazzarini

Force in Play

Leading UN refugee agency banned from operating in Israeli territory

Israel's effort to ban aid groups from Gaza hit a legal snag in late February 2026. On February 27, Israel's Supreme Court temporarily froze a government decision to suspend the operations of 37 de-registered international aid organizations working in the occupied Palestinian territory. The decision came after Amnesty International documented how the restrictions compounded harms on Palestinian women, who were forced to give birth without adequate care and faced interrupted treatment for cancer and other chronic illnesses.

Updated Oct 16

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Leading agency operations despite Israeli restrictions

A severe winter storm struck Gaza on January 13, 2026, collapsing war-damaged walls and killing at least 8 Palestinians, including a 7-day-old infant, a 1-year-old boy, and a 4-year-old girl who died of hypothermia. Cold-weather deaths have reached at least 23 since winter began; over 1.1 million people need shelter and 81% of Gaza's structures are destroyed or damaged.

Updated May 20

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Warning that the raid sets a dangerous precedent against UN operations worldwide

Israeli police and municipal officials rolled into a quiet UN compound in East Jerusalem before dawn. Motorbikes, trucks and forklifts smashed through UNRWA's former headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah, seizing equipment, cutting communications and hauling down the UN flag to raise Israel's own. UN officials say it was an unauthorized raid on inviolable UN premises; Israeli authorities insist it was just a municipal debt-collection move.

Updated May 10