{"id":317270,"date":"2025-01-27T15:42:43","date_gmt":"2025-01-27T20:42:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?post_type=document&p=317270"},"modified":"2026-04-22T15:54:57","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T19:54:57","slug":"summary-record-of-the-24th-meeting-of-the-special-political-and-decolonization-committee-fourth-committee-statement-by-unrwa-commissioner-general-and-general-discussion-a-c-4-79-sr-24","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/summary-record-of-the-24th-meeting-of-the-special-political-and-decolonization-committee-fourth-committee-statement-by-unrwa-commissioner-general-and-general-discussion-a-c-4-79-sr-24\/","title":{"rendered":"Summary record of the 24th meeting of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) – Statement by Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA Commissioner-General and general discussion (A\/C.4\/79\/SR.24)"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

27 January 2025<\/p>\n

Chair<\/em>: Ms. Pav\u013cuta-Deslandes (Latvia)<\/p>\n

Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n

Agenda item 49: United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East<\/p>\n

\n

The meeting was called to order at 10.00 a.m.<\/em><\/p>\n

Agenda item 49: United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East<\/strong> (A\/79\/13<\/a>, A\/79\/259<\/a>, A\/79\/287<\/a> and A\/79\/329<\/a>)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The Chair<\/strong> said that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA) was mandated by the General Assembly to assist millions of Palestine refugees, who accounted for a sizeable proportion of the total number of refugees around the world.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Statement by the Commissioner-General of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA<\/em><\/h3>\n
      \n
    1. Mr. Lazzarini<\/strong> (Commissioner-General of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA) said that the current moment was critical for Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA, its 33,000 staff members and the millions of Palestine refugees whom it served. The risk of the Agency\u2019s collapse threatened the lives and futures of individuals and communities, the stability of the region, and the integrity of the multilateral system. In open defiance of the Charter, the resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council, and the binding orders of the International Court of Justice, Israel was working to unilaterally shift the long-established parameters for resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict. In October 2024, the Israeli parliament had adopted laws that could end the Agency\u2019s operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory within less than three months. That outcome would fulfil an explicitly stated objective of the war in Gaza. Uniquely among United Nations agencies, and in the absence of a Palestinian State, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA had a mandate to directly provide public-like services, including education and primary healthcare. During conflicts, it also provided humanitarian assistance to all those in need. However, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA was now itself a casualty of the war in Gaza. At least 243 of its personnel had been killed; others had been detained and reported having been tortured. More than two thirds of the Agency\u2019s premises had been damaged or destroyed. Palestinian armed groups, including Hamas, and Israeli forces, had allegedly used Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA premises for military purposes. He had strongly, repeatedly and publicly condemned such alleged use of those premises. He continued to call for accountability, in the form of an independent investigation, for the attacks on United Nations personnel, premises and operations.<\/li>\n
    2. In addition to those attacks within the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the Agency had been subjected to a fierce global disinformation campaign. Parliaments and Governments in prominent donor countries had been subjected to intense lobbying by the Government of Israel and affiliated groups. The attacks against Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA were justified by allegations that the Agency was colluding with or infiltrated by Hamas. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA took allegations of breaches of neutrality extremely seriously. While it did not operate in a zero-risk environment, it took a zero-tolerance approach to any proven breaches. The independent review of mechanisms and procedures to ensure adherence by Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA to the humanitarian principle of neutrality included a finding that the Agency had a more developed approach to neutrality than other similar United Nations entities or non-governmental organizations. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA was making every effort to implement the recommendations set out in the review.<\/li>\n
    3. Like comparable United Nations entities, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA did not have police, military or intelligence capabilities. When such capacities were needed, it relied on Member States. For more than 15 years, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA had shared the names of its staff members with the Government of Israel on an annual basis; it now did so on a quarterly basis. The lists included names of staff members about whom the Government of Israel had never previously raised concerns, but whom it now included in lists of alleged armed militants. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA had repeatedly asked the Government of Israel for evidence and had proposed ways in which sensitive evidence might be shared. It had not received a response, and could not address allegations for which it had no evidence; yet those allegations continued to be used to undermine it.<\/li>\n
    4. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA was a soft target for warring parties that viewed its presence and activities as a threat. Hamas has repeatedly and publicly accused Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA, especially its senior management, of colluding with the Israeli occupation. For many years, Hamas had strongly opposed the Agency\u2019s education programme, challenging its commitment to gender equality and neutrality. Hamas had even disapproved of the Agency\u2019s Summer Fun Weeks programme, which brought girls and boys together for art, games, music and sports. It should be obvious that Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA was not a party to the conflict; it was a United Nations agency, and it was the mechanism tasked by the General Assembly with assisting Palestine refugees. All parties to the conflict must allow it to fulfil its mandate. If it could not operate in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, responsibility for providing services to Palestinians \u2013 and for bearing the cost of those services \u2013 would lie not with the United Nations, but with Israel as the occupying Power.<\/li>\n
    5. In the statement delivered to the Committee on his behalf at the previous session (see A\/C.4\/78\/SR.22<\/a>), he had described the horror that he had personally witnessed in Gaza one month into the war. Since then, the situation had worsened significantly. More than 43,000 people, nearly 70 per cent of whom were women and children, had reportedly been killed. Thousands more lay unaccounted for under the rubble or had succumbed to disease. Nearly the entire population has been displaced repeatedly. Hostages taken from Israel remained in terrifying captivity, and he continued to call for their immediate and unconditional release. Northern Gaza was under siege, and Palestinians were being burned and buried alive by airstrikes. Hunger was widespread, and famine had likely already taken hold. Israeli officials stated that the population would not be allowed to return there. Across Gaza, 660,000 children who ought to be in school were learning nothing more than how to survive.<\/li>\n
    6. In the occupied West Bank, settler violence and military incursions by the Israeli security forces were a daily reality. Public infrastructure was destroyed systematically during military operations, in an act of collective punishment against Palestinians. Illegal settlement activity was expanding aggressively, in total impunity.<\/li>\n
    7. The war had also spilled into Lebanon, where nearly a million people had been displaced. As in Gaza, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA was supporting the humanitarian response. The Agency had opened shelters hosting thousands of displaced people. Nearly half a million people, including 5,000 Palestine refugees, had fled from Lebanon to the Syrian Arab Republic, which was struggling to recover from war, an economic crisis and devastating earthquakes. Funding for Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA in the Syrian Arab Republic had dried up, and the Agency had been obliged to cut back on critical cash and food assistance. Jordan was not immune to the growing instability in the region; many Palestine refugees there were highly vulnerable to social and economic shocks.<\/li>\n
    8. At a time of profound crisis and uncertainty, Palestine refugees across the region were turning to Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA; but the Agency had never been in greater peril. The implementation of the laws adopted by the Israeli Knesset would have catastrophic consequences. In Gaza, dismantling Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA would collapse the humanitarian response of the United Nations, which relied heavily on the Agency\u2019s infrastructure. Moreover, only Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA could deliver education to more than 660,000 girls and boys across Gaza. In its absence, an entire generation would be denied the right to an education \u2013 the only asset from which they had not yet been dispossessed. That outcome would sow the seeds of marginalization and extremism.<\/li>\n
    9. Before the war, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA had addressed between 70 and 80 percent of primary healthcare needs in Gaza. It still provided 16,000 medical consultations each day. In the West Bank, the Agency\u2019s collapse would deprive at least 50,000 children of education, and half a million Palestine refugees of primary healthcare. Dismantling Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA would not terminate the refugee status of Palestinians, as that status existed independently of the Agency; it would, however, severely harm their lives and future.<\/li>\n
    10. The laws adopted by the Knesset struck a terrible blow to Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA staff. Some 17,000 staff members in the Occupied Palestinian Territory feared that they would lose their employment. They also had a valid feat that they could come under further attacks legitimized by those laws. The previous week, a female staff member in the West Bank had been detained, intimidated and harassed by Israeli security forces, who had accused her of working for a terrorist organization, seized her Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA laptop and used it to access internal information, an act that violated the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations.<\/li>\n
    11. He called upon Member States act to prevent the implementation of the laws against Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA. Changes to the Agency\u2019s mandate were the prerogative of the General Assembly, not of individual Member States. He asked Member States to ensure that any plan for a political transition delineated the role of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA. The Agency must progressively conclude its mandate within the framework of a political solution, and, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, hand over its services to an empowered Palestinian administration.<\/li>\n
    12. He called upon Member States to maintain their funding for Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA, and not to withhold or divert funds on the assumption that the Agency could no longer operate. The provision of critical services during a transition would entail an immense cost.<\/li>\n
    13. Lastly, he called upon Member States to use all the legal and political tools at their disposal to ensure that the international rules-based order was upheld. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ and its staff were in an increasingly untenable position. If the legal and political framework within which they operated did not hold, they would not be able to remain in place and fulfil their mandate. Member States should seriously consider the implications for the collective future of humanity.<\/li>\n
    14. Mr. Danon <\/strong>(Israel) said that he was accompanied by Ayalet Samerano, whose son Yonatan had been ripped from her by terrorists on 7 October 2023. The monster who had thrown Yonatan\u2019s body into a truck and taken it to Gaza as a sick trophy was an employee of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA. He had come home to a pay slip signed by the Commissioner-General on United Nations letterhead. The Commissioner-General should explain to Ms. Samerano how Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA had been infiltrated and why he had failed to take responsibility. The Commissioner-General had spoken of the need for evidence; but that incident had been captured in video footage.<\/li>\n
    15. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA could no longer maintain its disguise as an aid agency. If the Commissioner-General had any decency, he should resign in shame and ask for forgiveness from the families of the victims of his so-called employees. Failing that, he would be remembered as the face of an organization that had traded humanity for bloodshed.<\/li>\n
    16. Mr. Y\u0131ld\u0131z<\/strong> (T\u00fcrkiye) said that, over the previous year, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA staff had been killed, its facilities had been damaged or destroyed, and restrictions on the Agency\u2019s operations had made it nearly impossible to fulfil its mandate. That precarious situation had been compounded by a malicious defamation campaign, and the laws recently adopted by the Knesset posed a direct and immediate threat to critical operations. In the light of those actions, which represented a clear violation of the obligations of Israel, the international community had a collective responsibility to defend Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA.<\/li>\n
    17. He asked whether Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA was in a position to pay staff salaries for November and December 2024, what action Member States could take to provide immediate support, and what was the financial forecast for 2025.<\/li>\n
    18. Ms. Pukaite<\/strong> (Representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer), speaking on behalf of the European Union and its member States; the candidate countries Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro and the Republic of Moldova, and, in addition, Andorra, Monaco and San Marino, said that the European Union deeply appreciated the work of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA and its dedicated staff. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA played an essential role in providing crucial support to the civilian population, both in Gaza and the wider region. As long as there was no sustainable solution to the conflict, its mandate would remain vital.<\/li>\n
    19. Ms. Abdelhady<\/strong> (Observer for the State of Palestine) said that the State of Palestine was grateful to the Commissioner-General and the entire staff of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA, who provided assistance and sustenance to those violently denied it by a settler colonial and apartheid regime. The ongoing Nakbah had now reached genocidal proportions in the Gaza Strip. In the face of an all-out assault, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA staff upheld the collective obligations of the international community under international humanitarian law. The number of Agency staff who had made the ultimate sacrifice now exceeded the number of United Nations staff killed in any other conflict in the Organization\u2019s history.<\/li>\n
    20. In his reports, statements and briefings, the Commissioner-General had made it clear that Israel had declared war on Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA as part of a long-running campaign to strip the Palestinian people, particularly refugees, of any rights or recourse to international protection or justice. For that purpose, it had clearly decided that international law and multilateralism must be dispensed with. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ had already investigated the allegations made by Israel against Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA staff, most of which had been proven false or unsubstantiated. She therefore wished to know whether plans were under way for the United Nations to conduct independent investigations into the attacks carried out by Israel against Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA personnel, premises and property in the Gaza Strip and the remainder of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and whether efforts were being pursued to secure reparations and ensure that those responsible were held to account.<\/li>\n
    21. Mr. Alwasil<\/strong> (Saudi Arabia), speaking on behalf of the Group of Arab States, said that the accusations made by the delegation of Israel had been investigated and found to be untrue. Israel was preventing the entry of humanitarian assistance to Gaza and was implementing a policy of enforced starvation, particularly in northern Gaza. There was a global consensus that Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA fulfilled a necessary role, one that could not be replaced by any other entity.<\/li>\n
    22. Mr. Sahraoui<\/strong> (Algeria) said that his delegation extended its condolences to the families of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA staff members killed in Israel\u2019s brutal attack on the Palestinian people. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA was being attacked because it represented the imprescriptible right of return of Palestine refugees. The accusations of impartiality levelled against the Agency were merely an attempt to conceal that fact. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA had 13,00 staff members in the Gaza Strip, but the number of accused staff was in single digits. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ already had the necessary reporting mechanisms, and Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA was irreplaceable.<\/li>\n
    23. Mr. Lazzarini<\/strong> (Commissioner-General of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA), said that he felt the unspeakable pain of the hostages\u2019 families and that of all the mothers of hostages, including Ms. Samerano. Similarly, he felt the pain of all the Palestinian mothers who had experienced unspeakable suffering. In order to bring peace to the region, the deep suffering in both Israel and Palestine must be recognized, and empathy and compassion must be extended to all.<\/li>\n
    24. He had stated consistently that if an Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA staff member had participated in the abhorrent massacre of 7 October 2023, that act would be a betrayal not only of the United Nations, but of the Palestinian communities which the Agency served. A mechanism had been put in place to investigate the serious allegations that had been made, and its findings had been shared with Member States in July 2024. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA was discussing the establishment of a board of inquiry to examine all the allegations. That task was vital, but it could take place only once a ceasefire was in place; 90 per cent of the Gaza Strip was under evacuation orders.<\/li>\n
    25. In view of the massive spread of disinformation, the time had come for international journalists to have access to the Gaza Strip. Since the beginning of the war, the only journalists with access had been those who were embedded in the Israeli army.<\/li>\n
    26. The Agency\u2019s financial situation was dire. The emergency appeal in the Syrian Arab Republic was seriously underfunded, and the Agency\u2019s core funding was also extremely weak. He could not yet be certain that Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA would be able to pay salaries in full up to the end of 2024; there remained a shortfall of between $30 million and $50 million. The projected situation for 2025 was also extremely concerning. He therefore called upon Member States and donors to ensure that contributions for 2025 were released by the end of 2024, or in January 2025 at the latest.<\/li>\n
    27. Mr. Nouh<\/strong> (Egypt) said that the Agency\u2019s role was irreplaceable, and it was under attack precisely because it was the backbone of humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip. A delegation had called on the Commissioner-General to resign. On the contrary, he must remain in his post; the current difficult times called for a leader of his stature, who was committed to humanitarian principles and had demonstrated impartiality in his response to the allegations against Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA staff.<\/li>\n
    28. Mr. Alajmi<\/strong> (Kuwait) said that the contents of the Commissioner-General\u2019s briefing had been deeply saddening. His delegation paid tribute to the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA staff members who had perished in Israel\u2019s barbaric attack on the Gaza Strip. Notwithstanding a systematic campaign against the Agency, 123 Member States had signed the statement of shared commitments, because every well-informed observer knew that there was simply no alternative to Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA.<\/li>\n
    29. The Agency existed only because the international community had failed to implement the two-State solution. If a certain delegation wished for the Commissioner-General to resign, it should remove the obstacles to that goal.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Statement by the Rapporteur of the Working Group on the Financing of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA<\/em><\/h3>\n
        \n
      1. Ms. Havn<\/strong> (Norway), Rapporteur of the Working Group on the Financing of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA, introducing the report of the Working Group (A\/79\/329<\/a>), from which the United States of America disassociated itself, said that the ongoing war in Gaza, with its catastrophic human toll, had further exacerbated the Agency\u2019s financial difficulties. It was primarily the responsibility of the General Assembly and the international community to ensure that the Agency\u2019s work was protected from politicization, and that it had sufficient funding to meet the massively increased needs of the Palestine refugee population. The previous months had shown yet again that a strong and effective Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA was indispensable and irreplaceable. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA staff had worked tirelessly in extremely difficult and unsafe conditions, often at the cost of their lives.<\/li>\n
      2. In its report the Working Group urged all Governments to increase and sustain over several years their voluntary contributions to Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA, where possible, and to contribute to the Agency\u2019s three funding portals, while taking into account the primary importance of fully funding its programme budget. The swift disbursement of announced contributions and the flexibility in allocation across funding portals were highly encouraged. Government contributions should keep pace with the requirements of the Agency, while taking into account the effects of inflation and other factors driving the costs of providing services. Contributions should also reflect appropriate international burden-sharing.<\/li>\n
      3. The Working Group urged all Governments to provide unearmarked multi-year funding, where possible, to make sustained and predictable contributions to Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA in line with the recommendations made at the World Humanitarian Summit and the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, of 2016, and to disburse their contributions early in the year when feasible. It commended Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA for the measures it had taken to increase its efficiency while maintaining the quality of services to Palestine refugees and for the measures it had taken to increase its transparency through its reporting to the International Aid Transparency Initiative. The Working Group encouraged Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA to continue resource mobilization efforts and to explore ways to diversify its access to funding.<\/li>\n
      4. The Working Group took note of the recommendations set out in the report of the Secretary-General on the operations of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA (see A\/71\/849<\/a>) and in the relevant resolutions. Lastly, given the extremely critical financial situation of the Agency, the Working Group underlined the importance of providing sustainable options to secure durable solutions for the future of the Agency, including for its financial stability.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

         <\/p>\n

        General discussion<\/em><\/h3>\n
          \n
        1. Ms. Abdelhady<\/strong> (Observer for the State of Palestine) said that, for nearly 75 years since its establishment pursuant to General Assembly resolution 302 (IV)<\/a>, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA had provided education, healthcare, relief and social services and emergency assistance, not to mention a measure of hope and dignity, to millions of refugees, pending a just solution to their plight in accordance with international law and General Assembly resolution 194 (III)<\/a>, which enshrined their right to return and just compensation.<\/li>\n
        2. In October 2023, Israel had launched a genocidal war on the Palestinian people. For more than 400 days, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA had made the difference between life and death for a civilian people, more than one million them children, who were being deprived of food, water, medicines and all essential items. That population had been massacred, maimed, starved, and forcibly transferred back and forth in desperate attempt to flee ethnic cleansing. The actions taken by Israel were a Nakbah, a betrayal of humanity, and an act of genocide. Against that backdrop, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA staff continued to serve despite their own losses, displacement and trauma.<\/li>\n
        3. Israel relentlessly cast Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA as a terrorist organization, thereby also libelling the broad majority of countries that supported it. It took punitive measures against Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA, the United Nations and any State that sought to assist the Palestinian people. It openly boasted of its illegal plan to eliminate the Agency as a way to revoke the refugee status and rights of millions of Palestine refugees. However, the individual and collective rights of Palestine refugees under General Assembly 194 (III)<\/a>, including the right to return to their place of origin and receive compensation, existed irrespective of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA and were inviolable, imprescriptible and irrevocable.<\/li>\n
        4. The international community must demand that Israel halt its attacks and rescind all measures against Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA. Israel must not be allowed to destroy Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA, as that outcome would have far-reaching humanitarian, political, socio-economic and security repercussions within and beyond the region. The General Assembly must demand that Israel respect the Agency\u2019s mandate in accordance with its obligations under the Charter of the United Nations, the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, international humanitarian law and the provisional measures and orders indicated by the International Court of Justice.<\/li>\n
        5. Her delegation remained deeply grateful to those States from every continent and region that had long supported Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA, particularly those States that had not forsaken the Agency during its most dire crisis to date. It was grateful to the members of the Advisory Commission, the Working Group on the Financing of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA, the core group for the statement of shared commitments on Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA, and the host countries, namely Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.<\/li>\n
        6. There was a solid international consensus that Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA was indispensable and irreplaceable. The General Assembly must act immediately to uphold the Agency\u2019s mandate; ensure the continuity of its vital mission in all its fields of operation, including the Occupied Palestinian Territory; and address its chronic underfunding. In addition to voluntary contributions, a larger assessed contribution from the regular budget would be needed in order to ensure that Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA could fulfil its mandate. The immediate priority must be a ceasefire, accompanied by immediate, unimpeded humanitarian assistance to stop the spread of hunger, disease and despair. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA was the only United Nations entity with the capacity to fulfil those monumental tasks. It was a trusted source of comfort and hope for the Palestinian people, pending a just solution that would bring an end to the illegal occupation maintained by Israel and ensure that the Palestinian people could exercise the right to return to their homeland and exercise self-determination.<\/li>\n
        7. Mr. P\u00e9rez Ayestar\u00e1n <\/strong>(Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela) speaking on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defence of the Charter of the United Nations, said that the right of return of the Palestine refugees must be upheld, without further delays. Until a just and lasting solution to the question of Palestine was found, efforts by Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA had a tangible impact on the daily lives of the 5.9 million registered refugees in its areas of operation. The Group paid tribute to the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA staff members killed in the Gaza Strip by Israel, the occupying Power, in the latest spiral of violence. It condemned all attacks on Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA personnel and other aid workers and on the Agency\u2019s infrastructure, including refugee camps and schools that were being used as places of refuge. Efforts must be made to ensure that the parties respected international humanitarian law, including the principles of proportionality and distinction and the safety and security of all civilians and humanitarian and medical personnel in line with the norms of international humanitarian law, the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and the provisional measures indicated by the International Court of Justice. Member States with the means should consider increasing their financial contributions to Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA to ensure that the Agency could continue to provide vital services to all those in need.<\/li>\n
        8. Given the scale of the ongoing atrocities, humanitarian needs on the ground were growing by the minute. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA must be allowed to operate safely and effectively alongside other humanitarian actors. The recent legislative measures taken by Israel were therefore of the utmost concern. They would breach the obligations of Israel as an occupying Power, not to mention its obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations. They would formalize a long-standing policy of undermining and discrediting the Agency and would affect millions of innocent civilians in desperate need of assistance. The Group therefore categorically rejected any attempt to hinder the Agency\u2019s work, evict it from its compound and other premises in occupied East Jerusalem, or strip it of its privileges and immunities. There was international consensus that Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA was indispensable; and, in any event, dismantling it would in no way terminate the refugee status of Palestinians.<\/li>\n
        9. Despite ongoing efforts, the humanitarian assistance entering the Gaza Strip remained insufficient to cover the basic needs of the affected population. Such minimal aid as did enter the Gaza Strip was not reaching northern Gaza, where innocent civilians were being deliberately starved. Israel, the occupying Power, must lift the siege on Gaza and stop obstructing humanitarian access. The international community must not turn a blind eye to the tragedy; it must reaffirm its unwavering political support for Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA and renew the call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian access to prevent a total collapse of critical infrastructure, which would lead to more civilian casualties and widespread hunger, disease and poverty. The Group remained committed to the mandate of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA, pending a just and lasting solution to the question of Palestine in accordance with international law and the relevant resolutions of the United Nations.<\/li>\n
        10. Mr. Alwasil<\/strong> (Saudi Arabia), speaking on behalf of the Group of Arab States, said that Palestine refugees and their descendants had an inalienable right to return to their homeland, in accordance with internationally recognized resolutions, especially General Assembly resolution 194 (III)<\/a>, and the Arab Peace Initiative.<\/li>\n
        11. The destructive war on Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip was the latest in a long series of crimes committed by the Israeli occupation authorities. Occupation forces and settler militias were conducting daily raids on refugee camps across Palestine, killing, injuring or detaining numerous Palestine refugees and forcibly displacing Bedouin communities. The alarming escalation in the region had occurred primarily because Israel had not been held to account for its violations of international law. Israel continued to occupy Arab territory in Palestine, Syria and Lebanon, ignoring the rights of the population. In order to ensure that war did not spread across the region, it was essential to protect civilians in accordance with international law.<\/li>\n
        12. Scores of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA staff members had now laid down their lives to fulfil their noble mission. It was essential to secure a ceasefire, an end to all Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip, and immediate access for humanitarian and medical supplies. All obstacles to the Agency\u2019s work must be removed. The Group denounced in the strongest possible terms any attempt to settle the question of Palestine by forcibly displacing the Palestinian people, whether within occupied territory or to neighbouring States, irrespective of the spurious pretexts invoked by Israel and the States that justified its act of aggression.<\/li>\n
        13. The Group condemned in the strongest possible terms the illegal laws adopted by the Israeli Knesset. Those laws violated the privileges and immunities of the Agency and the obligations of Israel as the occupying Power. If the Agency\u2019s services were to be discontinued, there would be serious repercussions for the humanitarian situation of refugees, not to mention regional security and stability. In view of the unprecedented budgetary shortfall, the Agency required support to maintain its vital services, particularly education and health care.<\/li>\n
        14. The Group fully supported the mandate of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA and rejected any attempt to undermine or alter that mandate or transfer responsibilities from the Agency to any other entity. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA must continue to fulfil its mandate of providing vital services to Palestine refugees in its five areas of operation, including occupied Jerusalem, until a just solution to the question of refugees was found, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 194 (III)<\/a>, the internationally recognized resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, including the establishment of an independent, sovereign State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the borders of 4 June 1967. The Group commended the host countries, which enabled Palestine refugees to remain resilient; the Secretary-General and the Commissioner-General for their courageous stance; and the journalists, aid workers and staff of international humanitarian and relief organizations who had laid down their lives.<\/li>\n
        15. Mr. \u017dbogar<\/strong> (Slovenia), speaking on behalf of the core group for the statement of shared commitments on Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA, said that the Agency had a vital role in providing life-saving humanitarian assistance to Palestine refugees through essential education, health, relief, social services programmes and emergency assistance in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Jordan, Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA must remain the backbone of the international humanitarian response in Gaza; no organization could replace its mandate or capacity. The group therefore condemned all efforts to dismantle the Agency\u2019s operations and end its mandate before the question of Palestine was resolved in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations. It condemned all attacks on United Nations staff and premises, including those of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA; demanded that those responsible for those violations be held accountable; and extended its condolences to the families of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA staff members whose lives had been taken.<\/li>\n
        16. The relentless work of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA personnel over the previous year was a testament to their sustained commitment, not to mention a tangible sign that the international community had not forgotten Gaza. The group deplored the measures taken by Israel against Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA, including the laws adopted by the Israeli parliament. The Israeli Government must abide by its international obligations, respect the privileges and immunities of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA, and uphold its responsibility to allow and facilitate full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian assistance in all its forms into and throughout the Gaza Strip.<\/li>\n
        17. On 8 November 2024, an alert had been issued under the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification to the effect that famine thresholds might have been crossed or would be crossed in the near future in Gaza. Conditions would undoubtedly worsen even further if Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA were unable to operate. Moreover, after the conflict, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA would be the only human development agency with the capacity and experience to restore education, health and other essential services on the necessary scale.<\/li>\n
        18. If implemented, the laws adopted by the Knesset would therefore have grave humanitarian consequences for millions of Palestine refugees. That outcome would be a violation of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations, the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War (Fourth Geneva Convention), and the obligation of Israel, as the occupying Power, to ensure the well-being of the civilian population under its occupation. It would also significantly hinder the prospects for renewed peace efforts and the viability of the two-State solution, further exacerbating tensions, insecurity and instability in the region.<\/li>\n
        19. The group welcomed the Agency\u2019s commitment to fully implement the recommendations of the independent review. It urged all parties to ensure that a conducive environment was in place for the implementation of the recommendations, and to enable Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA to fulfil its mandate in all its areas of operation, with full respect for international law, including the protection of United Nations and humanitarian facilities. That mandate had been robustly reaffirmed and overwhelmingly supported by Member States for decades. It could not be altered or cancelled unilaterally; any such action was solely the remit of the General Assembly.<\/li>\n
        20. Mr. Fran\u00e7a Danese <\/strong>(Brazil), speaking on behalf of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries, said that the Community supported the statement of shared commitments on Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA in favour of the indispensable and irreplaceable services provided by the Agency. It condemned the recent approval by the Israeli parliament of laws that would hinder the Agency\u2019s essential work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. It was crucial to ensure that Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA could fulfil the mandate conferred on it by the General Assembly across its five fields of operation. Undermining that work would jeopardize the very survival of thousands of Palestinians. Israel must fulfil its obligations under the Charter of the United Nations, the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, international humanitarian law and the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council.<\/li>\n
        21. The Community strongly condemned the violence inflicted on civilians and urgently called for a comprehensive ceasefire. It was concerned, in particular, at the growing threat faced by Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA staff, who were on the frontlines delivering food and providing medical care, education and emergency services in extremely dangerous conditions. They exemplified the highest ideals of humanity and compassion, and ensuring their safety was paramount. The number of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA staff who had been killed was deeply troubling and must be addressed immediately and decisively. Attacks on humanitarian workers were an unacceptable violation of international law and ultimately tarnished the collective humanitarian principles of the international community. The perpetrator of the campaign of attacks against Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA must be held to account. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA was the backbone of humanitarian assistance for generations of Palestine refugees, to whom it brought hope for a better future. A just solution to the question of Palestine must urgently be found in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council.<\/li>\n
        22. Ms. Pukaite<\/strong> (Representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer), speaking on behalf of the European Union and its member States; the candidate countries Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro and the Republic of Moldova, and, in addition, Monaco and San Marino, said that the European Union and its member States condemned any attempt to abrogate the 1967 agreement between Israel and Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA or obstruct its capacity to fulfil its mandate. If implemented, the laws would put a stop to all the Agency\u2019s operations in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and effectively prevent such operations in the Gaza Strip, not to mention revoking the Agency\u2019s privileges and immunities in Israel.<\/li>\n
        23. The European Union and its member States deplored the unacceptable number of civilian casualties, especially women and children, in Gaza and the West Bank, in addition to the catastrophic levels of hunger and imminent risk of famine caused by the insufficient entry of aid into Gaza. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA had an indispensable role in providing crucial services to millions of people in its five areas of operation. It delivered life-saving support to a population facing critical and immense needs, particularly young Palestinians.<\/li>\n
        24. The European Union was a firm supporter of the United Nations and the multilateral and rules-based international order of which Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA was a part, and would continue to support the Agency, both politically and financially. The third tranche of its funding for 2024 had been disbursed on 17 October 2024. bringing its total financial support for the Agency that year to 82 million euros. A similar payment was earmarked for 2025.<\/li>\n
        25. The European Union closely monitored implementation of the recommendations of the independent review. It looked forward to further decisive action by the United Nations to uphold neutrality and accountability and strengthen control and oversight.<\/li>\n
        26. Mr. Novicio <\/strong>(Philippines) said that there was currently no realistic alternative to Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA for delivering education, healthcare, and social services to Palestine refugees, and that restrictions on its activities would leave refugees without the needed essential services and support. It commended the Agency\u2019s enduring commitment to its work, even in extraordinary circumstances and in conflict zones. It was therefore very concerned at recent developments that impeded the Agency\u2019s work, which must be supported. In 2024, his Government had doubled its voluntary contribution to the programme budget of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA to $100,000. It commended Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA for accepting the report of the independent review and for its intention to establish an action plan to implement the recommendations set out in the final report.<\/li>\n
        27. Ms. Zoghbi<\/strong> (Lebanon) said that Israel was conducting a relentless campaign to eliminate Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA, in a desperate attempt to dispense with the question of Palestine, the right of return of Palestine refugees, and any prospect of a just and comprehensive political solution. Israel had smeared Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA, killed scores of its staff and damaged more than one third of its buildings. Her Government condemned the unprecedented laws adopted by the Israeli Knesset, which were part of a systematic campaign to discourage donations to Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA. The result would be to undermine the security of host countries and the region as a whole, deprive Palestinians of hope for a better future, and breed despair and extremism. There was no substitute for Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA in any of its five areas of operation, pending a just and comprehensive solution to the question of Palestine that would enable Palestine refugees to exercise their right of return.<\/li>\n
        28. Over the previous years, Israel had flagrantly ignored the Charter of the United Nations, international law, international humanitarian law; attacked the staff and premises of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵIFIL); and declared the Secretary-General to be persona non grata<\/em>. It had committed war crimes in the Gaza Strip and in Lebanon, where it had targeted civilians, soldiers, doctors, journalists and aid workers, not to mention civilian infrastructure, medical facilities and heritage sites. The time had come to put a stop to those crimes.<\/li>\n
        29. Her delegation called on the international community to continue extending effective political and financial support to Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA, and on donor countries to enable the Agency to continue serving Palestine refugees, until such a time as they could return to their homeland in accordance with General Assembly resolution 194 (III)<\/a>, rather than being naturalized in neighbouring countries, particularly Lebanon.<\/li>\n
        30. Mr. Salah<\/strong> (Tunisia) said that the services provided by Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA in its five areas of operation, particularly Gaza, could not be replaced. His delegation condemned the Israeli occupation authorities\u2019 attacks on Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA, particularly the laws recently adopted by the Knesset. Those measures were part of a plan to destroy the social fabric of Palestine, render the question of the refugees redundant, and legitimize the enforced displacement and ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.<\/li>\n
        31. The current situation had arisen because the United Nations, particularly the Security Council, had been unable to uphold international law and international humanitarian law. The international community should work halt the unprecedented genocidal war on the Palestinian people, secure an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, protect civilians, and expedite the unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance. Its current silence was unacceptable. It was also essential to ensure that Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA could continue to provide its vital services to Palestine refugees.<\/li>\n
        32. His delegation consistently supported the Palestinian people in their stand against the occupation and genocidal war. It supported their struggle to exercise their imprescriptible rights, including the right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent, fully sovereign State on all the land of Palestine, with Al-Quds al-Sharif (Jerusalem) as its capital.<\/li>\n
        33. Ms. Dhanutirto<\/strong> (Indonesia) said that nearly 95,000 people in northern Gaza faced imminent famine. The deliberate denial of aid from that population violated international law and international human rights law. Stripping individuals of their basic right to survival and the right of return amounted to ethnic cleansing. The Agency\u2019s role in providing humanitarian assistance and promoting human development was irreplaceable, and its presence was a symbol of the international community\u2019s commitment to the two-State solution. Her delegation therefore condemned all efforts to dismantle the Agency or end its mandate before the question of Palestine was resolved.<\/li>\n
        34. The international community must hold accountable those responsible for the relentless attacks against the Agency\u2019s facilities and staff, and demand an immediate halt to such illegal acts. Israel, the occupying Power, must meet its obligations, rescind its hostile policy against Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA and facilitate the Agency\u2019s work across Gaza.<\/li>\n
        35. The crisis facing Palestine refugees stemmed from a broader injustice, namely, the prolonged occupation and illegal policies imposed on the Occupied Palestinian Territory. As long as the Israeli occupation continued, they would continue to endure oppression, violence, displacement and denial of their fundamental rights.<\/li>\n
        36. Mr. Al-thani<\/strong> (Qatar) said that Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA had, since its establishment, provided basic services to more than 5 million Palestine refugees in its five areas of operation, and it was now the backbone of humanitarian assistance in Gaza. His delegation therefore condemned the laws adopted by the Israeli Knesset, which were a systematic attack on Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA and set an alarming precedent.<\/li>\n
        37. The Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip was besieged and faced a catastrophic situation, including the denial of food and medicine as a weapon of war. If the Agency\u2019s activities were prohibited, millions of Palestinians would be denied necessary services. That situation would undermine the right of return, which was enshrined in numerous relevant resolutions.<\/li>\n
        38. Qatar had been a member of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA Advisory Commission since 2018 and had contributed more than $49 million to the Agency in 2024. It would continue extending political, diplomatic and financial support to the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA, whose role would be indispensable so long as the occupation remained in place. The international community must come together to save Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA, and thereby also uphold humanitarian values, the Charter of the United Nations and multilateralism. The only way to resolve the conflict was a comprehensive and just solution to the question of Palestine, one would enable the Palestinian people to exercise the right of return and establish an independent State on the borders of 4 June 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital.<\/li>\n
        39. Mr. Nouh<\/strong> (Egypt) said that his delegation condemned the systematic war waged by Israel against defenceless civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the laws and smear campaign targeting Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA. The charges of terrorism levelled against the Agency were spurious; indeed, the independent review included a finding that the Agency had a more developed approach to neutrality than other similar entities. The Israeli attack on Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA was intended, firstly, to undermine the right of return; secondly, to deprive the Palestinian people of essential services that helped to support new generations; and thirdly, to replace Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA with an alternative beyond the authority of the General Assembly; and lastly, to create a humanitarian vacuum that would result in more suffering and death for the Palestinian people.<\/li>\n
        40. Member States should jointly reject the attempt by Israel to alter or revoke the Agency\u2019s mandate; hold Israel accountable for its crimes against the Palestinian people and Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA; prevent its legal and executive measures from entering into force; support Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA in the General Assembly and the Security Council; and maintain funding for the Agency. States should consider ways to honour the sacrifices made by Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA staff, including the proposal that the General Assembly should designate a day to honour civilian and United Nations victims of war. Such an initiative would send a message to Israel that the international community would not abandon Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA. All stakeholders should reject any proposed replacement of the Agency\u2019s role, whether total or partial, permanent or temporary. They should not engage with any mendacious claims or pretexts that may be raised by Israel.<\/li>\n
        41. His delegation consistently supported the right of the Palestinian people to return to their homeland and establish an independent State on the borders of 4 June 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.<\/li>\n
        42. Mr. Adhbayyah<\/strong> (Kuwait) said that the question of Palestine and the plight of Palestine refugees remained the central issue in the Arab and Islamic worlds, and for all peace-loving people. The decision taken by the occupying Power to break off relations with Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA would exacerbate the suffering in Gaza, where killings, starvation and enforced displacement had claimed 42,000 lives and destroyed some 66 per cent of infrastructure. The occupying Power\u2019s actions blatantly violated Security Council resolution 2417 (2018)<\/a>, in which the Council condemned the starving of civilians as a method of war. Humanitarian workers in Gaza must be protected, and any attempt to alter or revoke the Agency\u2019s mandate must be resisted. His delegation commended the Agency\u2019s efforts to provide emergency relief, humanitarian assistance, education and healthcare services, including the 2023 polio vaccination campaign.<\/li>\n
        43. Kuwait regularly made voluntary contributions to the Agency and urged all Member States to follow suit. It supported the right of the Palestinian people to establish an independent State of Palestine on the borders of 4 June 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the relevant resolutions, particularly General Assembly resolution 194 (III)<\/a>, and the Arab Peace Initiative. His delegation welcomed the convening of an extraordinary Arab and Islamic Summit in Riyadh on 11 November 2024 in support of the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples.<\/li>\n
        44. Ms. Al-mashehari<\/strong> (Yemen) said that the Agency fulfilled an essential role in providing basic services to Palestine refugees. Any attempt to undermine its mandate or transfer it to another entity must be rejected. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA should continue to provide assistance in all its areas of operation, including in East Jerusalem, and should be allowed to deliver humanitarian and medical supplies without hindrance. The Agency\u2019s mandate was indispensable, and the right of Palestine refugees to return to their homeland and receive compensation could not be brushed aside.<\/li>\n
        45. Her Government condemned the illegal laws that would prohibit the Agency\u2019s activities and revoke the privileges and immunities of its officials. Such measures would undermine the principles of humanitarian action, not to mention exacerbating the suffering of the Palestinian people. The international community must coalesce to support Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA, and the Security Council must halt the daily crimes against the Palestinian people, secure an immediate ceasefire, and enable the establishment of an independent, sovereign State of Palestine on the borders of 4 June 1967, with East Jerusalem as a capital, in the context of a two-State solution consistent with the Arab Peace Initiative and the relevant international resolutions.<\/li>\n
        46. Mr. Alaklabi <\/strong>(Saudi Arabia) said that his delegation condemned in the strongest terms the repeated attacks on Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA, which would flagrantly violate the refugees\u2019 rights and the relevant United Nations resolutions. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA had a mandate to provide essential services, including education and health. Conditions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, were steadily deteriorating. Palestinians faced enforced displacement and starvation. The Israeli occupation authorities had bombarded schools and hospitals, killed some 42,000 Palestinians, destroyed infrastructure and imposed an illegal blockade. They continued to build settlements in the West Bank, making the prospect of a two-State solution increasingly out of reach. Israel still rejected the Arab Peace Initiative, which provided a comprehensive solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.<\/li>\n
        47. Saudi Arabia had contributed some $1 billion to the Agency since 2000. It had recently given $85 million to flash appeals for Gaza, including $55 million for Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA. It welcomed the findings of the independent review, which had underscored the primary role of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA in supporting relief and humanitarian efforts for the Palestinian people. Donor countries should commit to providing effective and sustained support to Palestine refugees. States that had suspended their donations should reinstate them, and all donors should increase their contributions in view of the Agency\u2019s growing burden. Ultimately, the root causes of the crisis would need to be addressed. The Israeli occupation of Palestinian and other Arab territories should be brought to an end, and an independent Palestinian State should be established with East Jerusalem as its capital.<\/li>\n
        48. Mr. Nguyen<\/strong> Duc Cuong (Viet Nam) said that his delegation was gravely concerned at the catastrophic humanitarian situation and dire socioeconomic conditions faced by Palestinian refugees across the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly in Gaza. In those challenging circumstances, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA had spearheaded the humanitarian work of the United Nations. His delegation consistently supported the Agency\u2019s indispensable and irreplaceable role in supporting millions of Palestine refugees in its five areas of operation. It was deeply concerned about the recent policies and legal actions aimed at undermining the Agency\u2019s mandate and obstructing its operations, something that would exacerbate the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the West Bank and beyond. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ and the parties to the ongoing conflicts should take stronger action to ensure safe and unhindered access to humanitarian relief for the civilian populations in Gaza and other affected areas. His delegation condemned in the strongest terms all forms of indiscriminate violence against civilians and essential civilian infrastructure. It called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and violence to prevent further civilian suffering.<\/li>\n
        49. Donors should step up their efforts to provide Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA with predictable and sustained resources to address the challenging situations across the region. Providing essential services to refugees should not, however, be an alternative to finding a just, comprehensive and lasting solution to the conflict. Viet Nam supported the establishment of the State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital, with secure and internationally recognized borders, on the basis of the pre-1967 lines and in accordance with international law, the Charter and the relevant United Nations resolutions.<\/li>\n
        50. Ms. Nordin<\/strong> (Malaysia) said that, even before 7 October 2023, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA had been struggling to address rising poverty rates in its areas of operation, unprecedented violence in the West Bank and waning prospects for a political solution. Many of its premises were now shelters, and it had become a lifeline for the civilian population. The laws adopted by the Israeli Knesset were an unprecedented blow to its work. They constituted a blatant assault on a United Nations agency, a serious affront to the United Nations and a direct challenge to the rules-based order. They were clearly intended to legalize an illegal endeavour to dismantle Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA with a view to revoking the refugee status of Palestine refugees and undermining their right of return.<\/li>\n
        51. Her Government remained steadfast in its support for Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA and called for an independent international investigation to hold accountable those responsible for the attacks on all United Nations personnel, premises and operations. In its advisory opinion of 19 July 2024, the International Court of Justice had found unambiguously that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land was illegal. Israel thus had no right to ban the Agency\u2019s. On the contrary, as an occupying Power, it had responsibilities towards Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA and other United Nations entities and humanitarian organizations.<\/li>\n
        52. Her delegation was concerned at the financial standing of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA. In addition to its long-term contribution of $1 million for the period 2021-2025, it had contributed some $5.2 million to the Agency since the start of the current war. If the current attack on Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA was left unchecked, it would entrench the injustices done to the Palestinian people and further complicate efforts to achieve a political solution.<\/li>\n
        53. Ms. Papadopoulos<\/strong> (Senegal) said that Israel persistently refused to implement the resolutions of the Security Council and the rulings of the International Court of Justice, and had made clear its determination to dismantle Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA. The latter fulfilled an indispensable role for the population of Gaza, which faced disease, injuries, famine, enforce displacement and attacks on civilians without assistance. The current catastrophe exacerbated the burden on Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA, whose dedicated work over the previous seven decades had kept alive the hope of peace, reconstruction and return for Palestine refugees. Her delegation rejected the specious accusations and unilateral measures that that had been taken to smear and undermine the Agency. It condemned the targeted attacks on humanitarian personnel and facilities and on Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA convoys, not to mention the obstruction of humanitarian assistance. It urged Israel, the occupying Power, to implement the preliminary measures indicated by the International Court of Justice and the resolutions of the Security Council.<\/li>\n
        54. Her delegation urged donor countries to support Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA; failure to do so would deprive the Palestinian people of sorely needed humanitarian aid; deny 540,000 children the right to education; and endorse the use of famine and disease as a weapon of war. Consideration should also be given to an alternative or complementary financing mechanism to ensure that the Agency\u2019s activities were not contingent on unreliable contributions.<\/li>\n
        55. The international community was standing idly by while Israel acted unilaterally to undermine and ultimately dismantle Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA. That outcome would set a dangerous precedent for relations between States and United Nations entities. The only acceptable outcome to the conflict was a two-State solution, with Israel and Palestine living side by side on the borders of 4 June 1967, securely and with international recognition, with East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

           <\/p>\n

          Statements made in exercise of the right of reply<\/em><\/h3>\n
            \n
          1. Ms. Shapir Ben Naftaly<\/strong> (Israel) said that the Palestinian representative had distorted the historical facts. In 1947, Israel had accepted the United Nations partition plan set out in General Assembly resolution 181 (II)<\/a>; Arab leaders had rejected it and sought to prevent the establishment of a Jewish State. Following the adoption of the plan, five Arab armies had launched an attack against Israel, imposing severe threats on the fledging nation. That war and its implications \u2013 like the war currently under discussion \u2013 could have been avoided were it not for the continuous desire to destroy the Jewish state and murder Jewish civilians. The Palestinian representative had also conveniently failed to mention that Hamas terrorists, many of whom had been employed by Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA, had initiated the current war by murdering, raping and kidnapping civilians. They were now prolonging the war by holding those civilians in Gaza.<\/li>\n
          2. The Lebanese representative had expressed concern regarding Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA facilities; but she had neglected to mention the events that had taken place in September 2023 in the Ein El Hilweh camp in Lebanon, where schools and clinics administered by Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA and funded by international aid had been turned into bases for violence, the storage of weapons and extremist gatherings of Palestinian terror groups. Such reckless abuse of humanitarian spaces violated international law and endangered the very civilians whom it claimed to protect.<\/li>\n
          3. Concerns had been raised regarding the Bedouin community in Israel. It should, however, be recalled that a direct Iranian attack on 14 April 2024 had severely injured a seven-year-old Bedouin girl. On 7 October 2023, Hamas had kidnapped not only Jews, Christians and others, but also Muslims, including the Bedouin Israeli Farhan al-Qadi, whose lives had been saved by the Israeli Defense Forces.<\/li>\n
          4. Mr. Ghelich<\/strong> (Islamic Republic of Iran) said that his delegation rejected the baseless accusations made against the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Israeli apartheid regime used empty rhetoric to conceal its daily atrocities against Palestinian and Lebanese civilians, not to mention the United Nations. It had killed hundreds of United Nations humanitarian personnel and systematically undermined the Organization\u2019s legitimacy. Palestinian civilians, including countless children and women, were being systematically deprived of essential services. They faced starvation, lack of medical aid and a constant threat of displacement or bombardment. The Iranian Government and its people, alongside many other peace-loving countries and nations, remained committed to supporting the work of humanitarian personnel, including that of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA. The Agency\u2019s mandate was essential and should remain in place until a just solution was found to the plight of Palestine refugees.<\/li>\n
          5. The Israeli regime has committed numerous terrorist attacks on the territory of his country, including the assassination of Iranian scientists and researchers. His delegation therefore objected to its practice of referring to all its opponents as terrorists, including those who supported the Palestinians in their legitimate and legal struggle against foreign occupation, ethnic cleansing and displacement. The actions and decisions of the Palestinian people, the Lebanese and people and others targeted by the apartheid regime stemmed from their own choices, given the remaining options for defending their homes and families in response to the long-standing illegal occupation of their homeland by the Israeli occupying regime, as well as the denial of their legitimate right to self-determination.<\/li>\n
          6. His Government condemned the Israeli laws that would prohibit the Agency\u2019s activities and revoke the privileges and immunities of United Nations staff. The effects of those unlawful acts would be felt by the entire Palestinian civilian population in Gaza, particularly Palestine refugees. The occupying regime should comply fully with its international legal obligations. In particular, humanitarian aid must flow regularly and sustainably into Gaza and other occupied Palestinian territory. The international community, particularly the United Nations, had a moral, political and legal obligation to take action to end the occupation of Palestine and compel the Israeli apartheid regime to put a stop to all forms of violence against the Palestinian people.<\/li>\n
          7. Ms. Shapir Ben Naftaly<\/strong> (Israel) said that rape, murder, and kidnapping of civilians were not legitimate means.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            The meeting rose at 1 p.m.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              27 January 2025 Chair: Ms. Pav\u013cuta-Deslandes (Latvia) Contents Agenda item 49: United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East The meeting was called to order at 10.00 a.m. Agenda item 49: United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (A\/79\/13, A\/79\/259, A\/79\/287 and A\/79\/329) […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":299,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"country":[],"document-category":[3053],"document-source":[5618],"committee-meeting":[],"document-subject":[1945,1749,1745,6891],"entity":[1729],"document-language":[6544,6543,6542,6541,6539,6538],"class_list":["post-317270","document","type-document","status-publish","hentry","document-category-summary-record","document-source-general-assembly-fourth-committee-special-political-and-decolonization","document-subject-assistance","document-subject-palestine-question","document-subject-refugees-and-displaced-persons","document-subject-unrwa","entity-united-nations-system","document-language-arabic","document-language-chinese","document-language-english","document-language-french","document-language-russian","document-language-spanish"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/317270","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/document"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/299"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/317270\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":317291,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/317270\/revisions\/317291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=317270"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=317270"},{"taxonomy":"document-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-category?post=317270"},{"taxonomy":"document-source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-source?post=317270"},{"taxonomy":"committee-meeting","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/committee-meeting?post=317270"},{"taxonomy":"document-subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-subject?post=317270"},{"taxonomy":"entity","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/entity?post=317270"},{"taxonomy":"document-language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-language?post=317270"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}