Francesca Maria Lorenzini

Palestinian refugees from Gaza in Jordan—displaced primarily after the 1967 Six-Day War—remain in legal limbo, denied citizenship and excluded from many rights granted to other Palestinian refugees. Unlike West Bank Palestinians, ex-Gazans were never granted Jordanian nationality and are effectively stateless. They rely heavily on the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for support, but funding cuts and political pressure—especially Israel’s 2024 ban on UNRWA in the West Bank and East Jerusalem—have severely undermined the agency’s capacity.

Work restrictions and lack of ID numbers limit Gazans’ access to formal employment. Recent efforts to ease these barriers have largely failed due to bureaucratic hurdles and the absence of legal frameworks. And UNRWA’s increased reliance on insecure, temporary jobs reflects broader financial strain, leaves many Gazans stuck in unstable, low-wage work.

Read the full story in The Cairo Review of Global Affairs.