Date: Dec.15,2024
In his opening speech at the 112th session of the Supervisors’ Conference in Cairo
Abu Holi calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and ending the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land within 12 months
• Warned of the Israeli decisive plan to end the conflict through excessive force, giving Palestinians the choice between death, submission, or displacement.
• Called for Arab action to stand up to any attempts at displacement, expulsion, or forced transfer of Palestinians from their land.
• Confirmed that UNRWA is irreplaceable and indispensable as long as there is no political solution to the Palestinian refugee issue.
• Warned of an imminent famine crisis in central and southern Gaza, as in the north, due to the depletion of flour and essential supplies.
• Called for effective international intervention and Arab action to prevent the enactment of Israeli laws banning UNRWA activities.
Dr. Ahmed Abu Holi, member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Head of the Refugee Affairs Department, called on the United Nations, its organizations, and its bodies — including the General Assembly and Security Council — to hold responsibility for imposing an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire on the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza. He urged them to incorporate their Resolution 2735 issued on June 11 under Chapter VII, within their mandate to maintain international peace and security. He also called for enforcing Israel to comply with the binding orders of the International Court of Justice, ensuring unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid, implementing Resolutions 2720 and 2728, and providing international protection for the Palestinian people.
The 112th regular session of the Supervisors’ Conference on Palestinian Affairs in Host Arab States was inaugurated this morning (Sunday) at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States in the Egyptian capital (Cairo).Participants included host countries for refugees (Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria), the Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League, and Head of the Palestine Affairs and Occupied Arab Territories Division, Ambassador Dr. Saeed Abu Ali. Other attendees included representatives from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
In his opening speech, Dr. Abu Holi called for obligating Israel, the occupying power, implementing the United Nations General Assembly resolution to end its illegal presence in the occupied Palestinian territories within 12 months.
He emphasized the importance of unified Arab action to counter any attempts to displace, expel, or forcibly transfer Palestinians from their land, whether in Gaza or the West Bank, including Jerusalem. He also stressed supporting Palestine’s vision for the “day after” ending the war in Gaza, as presented by President Mahmoud Abbas during his historic speech at the 79th UN General Assembly session last September. This vision includes 12 points, beginning with ending aggression in Gaza and the West Bank, ensuring protection for Palestinians and UNRWA’s mandate, and extending the State of Palestine’s authority over Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem.
The conference will address, over five days, several files related to developments in the Palestinian cause and the conditions of Palestinians. Key topics include the issue of Jerusalem, the apartheid wall, settlements and migration, the plight of Palestinian refugees, the activities and financial situation of UNRWA, development in Palestinian territories, and monitoring and supporting the intifada.
Dr. Abu Holi underscored the need for joint coordination and formulating a unified Arab position on existential issues to block the far-right Israeli government from implementing its racist plans to impose its unilateral solutions, which contradict international legitimacy. He highlighted the latest Israeli measures to annex the West Bank, including the approval in July 2024 of a plan to legitimize five settlement outposts in the West Bank, issue tenders for 3,500 housing units in settlements on lands occupied since 1967, revoke enforcement powers from the Palestinian Authority in some areas classified as “Area B,” demolish Palestinian buildings in those areas, and confiscate 12.7 square kilometers of land in the Jordan Valley designated as “Area B” to convert it into “state land.”
Dr. Abu Holi stated that Israel’s recent annexation measures, including the demolition of homes, land confiscation, and settlement expansion in areas classified as “B” and “C,” are extensions of ethnic cleansing and forced displacement. These actions represent a serious escalation toward solidifying the occupation and defying international decisions, especially the UN General Assembly resolution to implement the International Court of Justice’s ruling to end the occupation of all territories occupied in 1967.
He warned of the implementation of Israeli laws passed by the Knesset on October 28 that ban UNRWA activities in occupied Jerusalem, annul bilateral agreements, and revoke UN privileges and immunities granted since 1967. These laws, set to take effect on January 30, 2025, threaten to undermine UNRWA’s mandate and collapse its operations in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem. He called for effective international and Arab action to prevent the enforcement of these laws, compel Israel to respect UNRWA’s mandate under Resolution 302, and hold Israel accountable for its crimes against Palestinians, UNRWA staff, and facilities, as these constitute crimes against humanity.
Dr. Abu Holi also called for international efforts to mobilize political and financial support for UNRWA, stressing that there is no alternative to the agency as long as the political solution to the Palestinian refugee issue remains absent. He warned of the worsening financial crisis facing UNRWA in 2025, amid the growing needs of refugees in camps and a severe funding shortfall for humanitarian responses, exacerbated by the continued US funding cut of $365 million annually.
He highlighted the ongoing Israeli war in Gaza, now in its second year, which has resulted in over 146,000 casualties, including children and women, and over 10,000 missing persons. The war has caused massive destruction, famine, and displacement of over 1.9 million Palestinians, who now live in shelters and tents. He noted that more than 75% of Gaza’s housing sector, hospitals, schools, universities, churches, mosques, economic institutions, and infrastructure have been destroyed. He condemned the ongoing genocide, forced displacement, and starvation campaigns, especially in Jabalia Camp and Beit Lahia, amid a tight siege since October 5, amidst suspicious international silence and unprecedented American support in the face of the mass massacres and genocide campaigns committed by Israel against civilians, most of whom are children and women , and the inability of the international community to stop the war and force Israel to comply with Security Council Resolution 2735 calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
He warned of a real famine crisis looming in central and southern Gaza, as in the north, due to the depletion of flour and essential supplies, forcing displaced people to resort to spoiled flour and unhealthy alternatives to feed their families.
Dr. Abu Holi also warned of Israel’s implementation of the “Generals’ Plan,” aimed at displacing Palestinians from northern Gaza, converting the area into security and military buffer zones, and preparing for settlement construction. This aligns with statements by far-right Israeli officials, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, advocating for the re-establishment of settlements in Gaza under the guise of security needs. He noted that these actions are part of Israel’s “decisive resolution” strategy to end the conflict through excessive force, forcing Palestinians to choose between death, submission, or displacement — a strategy based on military and settlement-driven dominance and the imposition of facts on the ground.
