Board of Peace has met with UNRWA despite saying it has no Gaza role, agency's ex-chief says

JERUSALEM -- As the U.S.-created Board of Peace pushes ahead with plans to rebuild Gaza, it’s said there’s no place for the U.N. body that for decades has provided support to displaced Palestinians. But the agency’s most recent head says that behind the scenes, board members and others have been more open to working with the U.N. agency for Palestinians than it seems.Israel wants the agency out of Gaza and has repeatedly accused it of being infiltrated by Hamas militants, allegations that the International Court of Justice says have not been substantiated. And yet UNRWA remains the territory’s largest aid provider, playing a key role in health and education.Philippe Lazzarini, who was head of UNRWA until earlier this year, told The Associated Press that members of the Palestinian technocratic committee want to work with the agency. Another U.N. official shared with AP minutes from meetings where UNRWA and the committee discussed collaborating on plans for Gaza.A Board of Peace official confirmed that board members had met multiple times with UNRWA officials. The agency’s days are over, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to...