Hamas has denounced the emerging Board of Peace framework over what it says is a refusal to cooperate with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, or UNRWA, in Gaza, intensifying a broader fight over humanitarian authority in the enclave. The criticism, reported by Al Jazeera, lands at a moment when Gaza's aid architecture remains deeply contested, with international actors under pressure to expand relief while also shaping the political future of the territory.
The dispute is not simply about logistics. It cuts to the heart of a larger diplomatic struggle: whether Gaza's civilian needs will continue to be addressed through established UN channels, or whether new arrangements will be imposed that could alter the balance of power on the ground. For Hamas, excluding UNRWA is being cast as an effort to weaken an institution that has long served as a lifeline for Palestinian refugees and displaced families, and to replace it with a structure seen as more politically pliable.
Aid Control Battle
UNRWA has been one of the most politically sensitive institutions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for decades, but its role in Gaza has become even more central amid the war and the collapse of much of the enclave's civilian infrastructure. The agency has provided food, shelter, education and emergency assistance to millions of Palestinians across the region, and in Gaza it has often functioned as the backbone of humanitarian delivery. Any move to bypass it therefore carries immediate operational and symbolic consequences.
Hamas's reaction suggests that the proposed Board of Peace is being interpreted not as a neutral coordination mechanism but as part of a wider attempt to redesign Gaza's postwar order without the institutions Palestinians already recognize. That perception matters. In conflict zones, legitimacy is often as important as capacity, and aid systems that are viewed as externally imposed can struggle to gain local trust, even if they are well funded.
The refusal to work with UNRWA also reflects the intense political scrutiny surrounding the agency itself. UNRWA has faced sustained criticism from Israel and some of its allies, who argue that the agency's mandate and operations are politically compromised. Supporters counter that dismantling or sidelining the agency would deepen humanitarian collapse and punish civilians for a conflict they did not choose. The Board of Peace's stance, as described by Hamas, places it squarely inside that debate.
Gaza's Postwar Stakes
The timing is significant because any postwar governance plan for Gaza will likely hinge on three interlocking questions: who secures the territory, who administers services, and who is seen as having the authority to speak for the population. Humanitarian access is therefore not separate from diplomacy; it is the mechanism through which political arrangements are tested and, in practice, enforced.
If the Board of Peace is intended to oversee reconstruction or transitional administration, its decision to avoid UNRWA could signal a preference for a new institutional framework with tighter political controls. That may appeal to actors seeking to limit Hamas's influence, but it also risks alienating Palestinians and complicating aid delivery at a time when needs remain acute. The challenge for any international initiative is that Gaza's humanitarian crisis cannot be managed in a vacuum from the conflict that created it.
For Hamas, the issue is also strategic. By attacking the Board of Peace's position, the group is trying to portray itself as defending Palestinian rights and institutional continuity, even as it faces military and diplomatic pressure. The message is aimed not only at international mediators but also at regional audiences watching whether any future Gaza arrangement will preserve a Palestinian role in decision-making.
The broader diplomatic implication is that the battle over UNRWA is likely to remain a proxy for deeper disagreements about Gaza's future. Whether the Board of Peace can gain traction may depend less on its branding than on whether it can persuade key stakeholders that it can deliver aid without becoming a vehicle for political exclusion. For now, Hamas's criticism signals that any attempt to redraw Gaza's humanitarian map will face immediate resistance from actors who see UNRWA as indispensable and any alternative as politically suspect.