The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, known as UNRWA, has reported a severe toll among its personnel in the Gaza Strip as the conflict between Hamas and Israel escalates. The agency confirmed that 79 UNRWA staff members have been killed since the fighting intensified, with at least 24 additional personnel injured since the onset of the latest hostilities. These figures reflect a rapidly changing and dangerous situation for aid workers who are often operating in highly constrained and perilous environments. The organization disclosed these numbers on its official channels as part of its ongoing effort to document the impact of the conflict on humanitarian personnel and operations.
UNRWA also indicated that contact with a large portion of its staff has been severely disrupted due to a communications blackout in Gaza. The agency stated that it is currently impossible to reach most of its team members, complicating coordination of aid delivery, safety monitoring, and response planning. This communication outage, described as the third outage in ten days, has left families and colleagues waiting for reliable information about the welfare and location of their loved ones and colleagues. The inability to communicate has created a worrying gap in situational awareness for both the agency and the people it serves.
The blackout comes amid a broader humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where residents have faced interruption of essential services, access to humanitarian corridors, and constraints on mobility. UNRWA highlighted that many Gazans have been forced to seek shelter in its facilities as the conflict continues. In these crowded spaces, the agency and other humanitarian actors are working to provide safety, food, water, and medical care, while trying to maintain a channel of information with those inside the territory.
The conflict that began on October 7 has triggered a heavy exchange of hostilities. A major attack attributed to Hamas targeted Israel, resulting in a large number of casualties. In response, the Israeli Defense Forces launched a broad military operation against Hamas targets. Reports indicate that thousands of people have become victims in the crossfire and airstrikes, underscoring the scale of the humanitarian emergency unfolding in the region. The violence has also led to a surge in displacement, with hundreds of thousands of Palestinians seeking safety in and around UNRWA facilities and other shelters.
As the fighting intensified, Israel’s security and military leadership, including decisions by the National Security Council, moved to cut off basic services to the Gaza Strip. Reports describe targeted airstrikes against a wide range of Hamas locations, coupled with measures affecting water supply, electricity, food, and fuel. Humanitarian organizations have stressed that such restrictions compound the vulnerability of civilians who already endure restrictions on movement and access to essential goods. The situation has raised urgent questions about civilian protection, the preservation of life, and the need for durable pauses in hostilities to allow safe aid deliveries and humanitarian pauses for evacuations where feasible.
Public officials and observers have emphasized the importance of sustaining humanitarian access in Gaza while seeking secure channels for information about the safety and well-being of civilians and aid workers. The complex dynamics of the conflict, including shifting frontlines and multiple actors, require careful coordination to prevent further casualties and to facilitate relief operations. In this context, UNRWA and other agencies continue to advocate for the protection of civilians, unhindered humanitarian access, and clear communication with affected communities to minimize harm and save lives.
Looking ahead, the goal for international organizations and national governments remains the protection of civilians, the safety of humanitarian personnel, and the rapid restoration of essential services. This includes ensuring reliable communications, safe corridors for aid delivery, and transparent reporting on the status of staff and shelters. While the immediate military calculations may be driven by security concerns, the humanitarian imperative demands sustained emphasis on civilian protection, accountability, and a commitment to pathways that reduce suffering in a deeply destabilized area. Analysts and humanitarian leaders alike stress the need for proactive diplomacy, de-escalation, and practical steps that can create space for relief operations and civilian resilience during a time of profound crisis.
Ultimately, the situation in the region remains intensely fluid and dangerous. The experience of UNRWA personnel on the ground illustrates the high cost borne by those who work to assist vulnerable populations under fire. The events highlight the critical role of humanitarian actors in conflict zones, the fragility of relief operations under bombardment, and the ongoing struggle to deliver aid to people in need while ensuring their safety and dignity. As the crisis continues, the international community is urged to support humanitarian access, protect aid workers, and pursue lasting solutions that minimize harm to civilians and promote stability and humanitarian relief in the region.