The agency stressed that Gaza urgently needs a “real and lasting ceasefire,” noting that 601 Palestinians have been killed and 1,607 injured since the truce began.
In its statement, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees said the Israeli regime has repeatedly violated the ceasefire while maintaining a heavy blockade alongside ongoing bombardments and civilian casualties.
Meanwhile, UNRWA addressed the continued efforts by the Israeli regime to halt its operations, emphasizing that the United Nations General Assembly established the agency with a clear humanitarian and development mandate to assist and protect Palestinian refugees until a just and durable solution is achieved.
“We will continue our work in providing services to Palestinian refugees and will carry on until a just and lasting solution for Palestinians is reached,” the agency said.
Furthermore, UNRWA presented key findings from its latest report on the humanitarian crisis in the occupied Palestinian territories, including Gaza, the occupied West Bank and East Al-Quds, showing that nearly two-thirds of Gaza’s population, or 1.4 million people, are living in overcrowded displacement sites and continue to suffer from severe shortages of basic necessities.
The report added that one UNRWA staff member was killed on Feb. 10 in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, bringing the total number of agency personnel killed since the war began in October 2023 to 391 as of Feb. 18, 2026.
Despite these losses, UNRWA said it continues to expand and deliver services, including reopening a rehabilitation center for visually impaired children in Deir al-Balah, resuming education and providing psychosocial support.
Citing data from Gaza’s Health Ministry and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the agency said 72,045 Palestinians were killed and 171,686 injured in Gaza between Oct. 7, 2023 and Feb. 11, 2026.
It reiterated that since the ceasefire agreement took effect, 601 Palestinians have been killed and 1,607 wounded.
The report also warned that the crisis of hunger and malnutrition persists despite the ceasefire, noting that under the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification analysis, Gaza City is expected to remain in Phase 4 (emergency) until the end of April 2026, while Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis are projected to remain in Phase 3 (crisis) until mid-April 2026.
Separately, as Israeli regime pressure on humanitarian organizations in Gaza continues with US backing, several international groups have suspended operations in parts of the territory in recent months and weeks.
Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of UNRWA, warned of the consequences of any disruption to the agency’s work and said the United States has yet to clarify its position on the agency’s future.
In remarks to Reuters, Lazzarini said dismantling and abandoning UNRWA would create a catastrophe similar to what occurred after the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq.
“We have not received any definitive answer; because the United States also has a role in determining the fate of UNRWA, and dissolving this agency without an alternative would mean a very big catastrophe,” he said.
He added that UNRWA will continue providing health and education services to Palestinians despite mounting challenges and called on Arab countries to strengthen their support, saying that assistance provided so far does not reflect strong solidarity with Palestinian refugees.