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Pay Cuts and Layoffs: UNRWA Faces Sudden Crisis with Palestinian Institutions

Israeli soldiers stand outside UNRWA’s headquarters in the Gaza Strip (AFP)
Israeli soldiers stand outside UNRWA’s headquarters in the Gaza Strip (AFP)
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Pay Cuts and Layoffs: UNRWA Faces Sudden Crisis with Palestinian Institutions

Israeli soldiers stand outside UNRWA’s headquarters in the Gaza Strip (AFP)
Israeli soldiers stand outside UNRWA’s headquarters in the Gaza Strip (AFP)

A crisis has erupted between the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and several Palestinian institutions following a decision by the agency to lay off hundreds of employees and cut the salaries of others.

UNRWA informed its local staff from the Gaza Strip who are currently outside the territory that their employment would be terminated immediately and officially, citing the severe monetary crisis facing the agency.

Employees and organizations monitoring UNRWA’s work circulated a decision signed by Sam Rose, acting director of UNRWA affairs in Gaza, announcing the termination of contracts for more than 600 employees under an “exceptional leave” provision in accordance with regulations governing local staff.

The decision stated that UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini had approved the move as formal notice of termination, while pledging to preserve employees’ financial rights through a mechanism yet to be agreed upon.

The decision cited a crippling financial shortfall that has left UNRWA unable to secure sufficient funds to continue paying salaries and meeting its programmatic obligations.

According to Palestinian sources specializing in refugee and UNRWA affairs, the decision affects 622 employees, the majority of them education staff who were forced to leave Gaza with their families because of the war. Most are currently in Egypt.

The Joint Refugee Committee described the move as “arbitrary and inhumane,” saying it constitutes “a direct assault on employees’ dignity and their right to work and live in safety.” It stressed that staff did not leave Gaza by choice, but fled war, bombardment, starvation, and disease, noting that many are ill or caring for sick relatives.

The committee held Lazzarini fully responsible for the decision, which comes near the end of his term, and called for its immediate reversal and the reinstatement of dismissed staff.

The Refugee Affairs Department of the Palestine Liberation Organization also rejected the decision, describing it as “a dangerous approach that goes beyond a funding crisis to amount to systematic administrative execution.”

Ahmad Abu Houli, a member of the PLO Executive Committee and head of the Refugee Affairs Department, said the 20 percent salary cuts for Gaza and West Bank staff, the termination of contracts for 570 Gaza employees abroad, and the replacement of UNRWA guards in Amman with a private security company amounted to “a stab in the back” of employees who had served as a safety valve for the agency and lost 382 colleagues killed under Israeli bombardment.

Palestinian factions, including Fatah and Hamas, also condemned the decision, calling it an unjustified escalation that violates employees’ rights and deepens their suffering amid war and siege. Palestinian human rights groups likewise denounced the move as illegal under wartime conditions in Gaza.

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Arab World

Al-Alimi Sacks Yemen Defense Minister

Sacked Defense Minister and commander of the armed forces Mohsen al-Daeri. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Sacked Defense Minister and commander of the armed forces Mohsen al-Daeri. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Al-Alimi Sacks Yemen Defense Minister

Sacked Defense Minister and commander of the armed forces Mohsen al-Daeri. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Sacked Defense Minister and commander of the armed forces Mohsen al-Daeri. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad al-Alimi sacked on Thursday Defense Minister and commander of the armed forces Mohsen al-Daeri, referring him to retirement, according to a presidential decree.

Political and military sources said the move stemmed from Daeri's failure in addressing the military escalation by the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in several liberated governorates, notably Hadhramaut and al-Mahra.

On Wednesday, al-Alimi dismissed several military and civil officials in the two governorates and Aden for supporting the STC's rebellion and military escalation.

The dismissals included Ahmed Hamed Lamlas, Minister of State and Governor of Aden Governorate, Abdul Salam Saleh Humaid Hadi, Minister of Transport, and Waed Abdullah Badeeb, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, among others.

Arab World

Syrian Army Orders Evacuations as Heavy Fighting Grips Aleppo's Kurdish Areas

Civilians carry their bags and belongings as they flee following renewed clashes between the Syrian army and the Syrian Democratic Forces, in Aleppo, Syria, January 8, 2026. REUTERS/Mahmoud Hassano
Civilians carry their bags and belongings as they flee following renewed clashes between the Syrian army and the Syrian Democratic Forces, in Aleppo, Syria, January 8, 2026. REUTERS/Mahmoud Hassano
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Syrian Army Orders Evacuations as Heavy Fighting Grips Aleppo's Kurdish Areas

Civilians carry their bags and belongings as they flee following renewed clashes between the Syrian army and the Syrian Democratic Forces, in Aleppo, Syria, January 8, 2026. REUTERS/Mahmoud Hassano
Civilians carry their bags and belongings as they flee following renewed clashes between the Syrian army and the Syrian Democratic Forces, in Aleppo, Syria, January 8, 2026. REUTERS/Mahmoud Hassano

The Syrian army clashed with fighters from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) ​in parts of Aleppo on Thursday and ordered residents to evacuate, accusing the SDF of using Kurdish-majority areas to launch attacks, according to Syrian state media.

The army released more than seven maps identifying areas it said would be targeted in strikes, urging residents to leave immediately for their safety. Its operations command announced a curfew in the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh from 3 p.m. (1200 GMT).

The fighting, which erupted on Tuesday, has driven thousands of civilians ‌from their homes ‌and killed and wounded several people, state media ‌reported, Reuters reported.

SDF ⁠said ​their fighters ‌were engaged in intense clashes with Damascus-aligned factions and auxiliaries near Aleppo's Syriac neighbourhood, adding that they had inflicted what they described as heavy losses.

The violence and competing claims over responsibility highlight a deepening and increasingly deadly standoff between Damascus and Kurdish authorities who have resisted integrating into the central government.

ACCUSATIONS OF ETHNIC CLEANSING

The Kurdistan Regional Government's Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said he was deeply concerned by attacks on ⁠Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo, warning that targeting civilians and attempts to alter the area's demography amounted to ‌what he described as ethnic cleansing.

Barzani called on all ‍sides to exercise restraint, protect civilians ‍and pursue dialogue.

The SDF accused Damascus-aligned factions of threatening unlawful attacks on ‍civilian areas, saying public warnings of shelling could amount to forced displacement and war crimes under international humanitarian law.

More residents were seen leaving Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh through designated safe corridors.

The SDF are a U.S.-backed alliance that controls much of northeastern Syria and ​has been Washington's main local partner in the fight against Islamic State.

Kurdish-led authorities established a semi-autonomous administration in those areas and parts ⁠of Aleppo during Syria's 14-year war and have resisted fully integrating into the Islamist-led government that took power after former President Bashar al-Assad was ousted in late 2024.

Damascus reached a deal with the SDF last year that envisaged full integration by the end of 2025, but progress has been limited, with both sides accusing the other of stalling.

The United States has sought to mediate, holding meetings as recently as Sunday, though those talks ended without tangible results.

Diplomats warn that failure to integrate the SDF into Syria's army risks further violence and could draw in Türkiye, which has threatened military action against Kurdish fighters it regards as terrorists.

Türkiye said ‌on Thursday it is ready to help Syria if asked after the Syrian army independently launched what it called a "counter-terrorism" operation in Aleppo.

Arab World

Lebanese Military Moves to New Phase of Disarming Non-state Groups like Hezbollah

Lebanese soldiers stand in front of a building targeted by an Israeli airstrike in the village of Deir Kifa in south Lebanon last month. (AFP file)
Lebanese soldiers stand in front of a building targeted by an Israeli airstrike in the village of Deir Kifa in south Lebanon last month. (AFP file)
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Lebanese Military Moves to New Phase of Disarming Non-state Groups like Hezbollah

Lebanese soldiers stand in front of a building targeted by an Israeli airstrike in the village of Deir Kifa in south Lebanon last month. (AFP file)
Lebanese soldiers stand in front of a building targeted by an Israeli airstrike in the village of Deir Kifa in south Lebanon last month. (AFP file)

The Lebanese military said Thursday it had concluded the first phase of their plan to fully deploy across southern Lebanon and disarm non-state groups, notably Hezbollah. Israel said it is encouraging but “far from sufficient.”

The effort to disarm Hezbollah comes after a Washington-brokered ceasefire ended a war between the group and Israel in 2024.

The military's statement didn't name Hezbollah or other armed groups in particular, but it comes before President Joseph Aoun is set to meet with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and his government to discuss the deployment and disarmament plans. Both said disarming non-state groups was a priority upon beginning their terms not long after the ceasefire went into effect, according to The AP news.

Lebanon's top officials have endorsed the military announcement.

A statement by Aoun’s office ahead of the meeting called on Israel to stop its attacks, withdraw from areas it occupies, and release Lebanese prisoners. He called on friendly countries not to send weapons to Lebanon unless it's to state institutions — an apparent reference to Iran which for decades has sent weapons and munitions to Hezbollah.

Speaker Nabih Berri, a key ally of Hezbollah who played a leading role in ceasefire talks, issued a statement saying the people of southern Lebanon are “thirsty for the army's presence and protection."

Israel maintains that despite Lebanon’s efforts, Hezbollah is still attempting to rearm itself in southern Lebanon.

“The ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States between Israel and Lebanon states clearly, Hezbollah must be fully disarmed," a statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office read. “This is imperative for Israel’s security and Lebanon’s future.”

Military says disarmament plan in ‘advanced stage’ The text of the ceasefire agreement is vague as to how Hezbollah’s weapons and military facilities north of the Litani river should be treated, saying Lebanese authorities should dismantle unauthorized facilities starting with the area south of the river.

Hezbollah insists that the agreement only applies south of the Litani, while Israel maintains that it applies to the whole country. The Lebanese government has said it will eventually remove non-state weapons throughout the country.

The Lebanese military has been clearing tunnels, rocket-launching positions, and other structures since its disarmament proposal was approved by the government and went into effect in September.

The government had set a deadline of the end of 2025 to clear the area south of the Litani River of non-state weapons.

“The army confirms that its plan to restrict weapons has entered an advanced stage, after achieving the goals of the first phase effectively and tangibly on the ground,” the military statement read.

“Work in the sector is ongoing until the unexploded ordnance and tunnels are cleared ... with the aim of preventing armed groups from irreversibly rebuilding their capabilities,” it said.

Hezbollah did not immediately comment on the Lebanese military’s announcement.

Officials have said the next stage of the disarmament plan is in segments of southern Lebanon between the Litani and the Awali River, which include Lebanon’s port city of Sidon, but they have not set a timeline for that phase.

Israeli strikes continue Israel still strikes Lebanon near daily and occupies five strategic hilltop points along the border, the only areas south of the Litani where the military said it has yet to control.

Regular meetings have taken place between the Lebanese and the Israelis alongside the United States, France, and the UN peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, to monitor developments after the ceasefire.

Lebanon’s cash-strapped military has since been gradually dispersing across wide areas of southern Lebanon between the Litani River and the UN-demarcated “Blue Line” that separates the tiny country from Israel. The military has also been slowly confiscating weapons from armed Palestinian factions in refugee camps.

Israel accuses Hezbollah of trying to rebuild its battered military capacity and has said that the Lebanese military’s efforts are not sufficient, raising fears of a new escalation. Lebanon, meanwhile, said Israel's strikes and control of the hilltops were an obstacle to the efforts.

Lebanon also hopes that disarming Hezbollah and other non-state groups will help to bring in money needed for reconstruction after the 2024 war.

Hezbollah says it has been cooperative with the army in the south but will not discuss disarming elsewhere before Israel stops its strikes and withdraws from Lebanese territory.