Date: 12/19/2024
Held Under the Chairmanship of Dr. Ahmed Abu Holi
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The Conference of Supervisors of Palestinian Affairs Asserts Its Rejection of The Displacement of The Palestinian People from Their Land
-Called on Donor Countries to Provide Sufficient Financial Support to UNRWA and Affirmed Its Rejection of The Establishment of Any Parallel Body or Alternative International Mechanism for It
Participants in the 112th session of the Conference of Supervisors of Palestinian Affairs in the Host Arab Countries, today, Thursday, affirmed their absolute rejection of any Israeli project to displace the Palestinian people from their land in the Gaza Strip or in the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, to other countries. They welcomed the positions of the member states of the Security Council and the General Assembly, which expressed their rejection of the plan of the Israeli right-wing government to displace the Palestinians from their land.
This came in the recommendations issued by the 112th session of the conference, which was held during the period from 15 to 19 December at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, headed by the member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Head of the Department of Refugee Affairs, Ahmed Abu Holi.
The conference condemned the ethnic cleansing operations in the neighborhoods of the occupied city of Jerusalem after the Israeli occupation municipality delivered 6,834 demolition orders to facilities in Silwan (homes, shops and properties), including 6 neighborhoods: (Wadi Hilweh, Al-Bustan, Batn Al-Hawa, Wadi Al-Rababa, Wadi Yasul and Ein Al-Lawza) threatening them with complete demolition or expulsion and seizure of homes and neighborhoods.
The conference called on the international community and the International Criminal Court to take immediate action to stop the crimes of ethnic cleansing practiced by the occupation government against the Palestinian people in Jerusalem, and to oblige Israel to abide by the UN resolutions that prevent the Judaization of the city of Jerusalem and preserve its religious and historical landmarks and its Arab and Islamic identity.
The conference also called on the Arab and Islamic countries to continue supporting the people of Jerusalem to confront the Israeli plans aimed at Judaizing occupied Jerusalem, calling on the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to continue providing support to the people of Jerusalem, especially Palestinian schools, to confront the pressures of Israel's attempts, the occupying power, to impose the Israeli curriculum there.
The conference also called on the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to strengthen their partnership with UNRWA, especially in supporting its schools in occupied Jerusalem.
The conference condemned the Israeli occupation authorities’ seizure of lands estimated at about 30 dunums in September 2024 in preparation for the construction of a 1,500-meter-long and four-meter-high separation wall, in addition to the construction of a new section of the annexation wall on the lands of the town of Ya’bad, southwest of occupied Jenin, with a length of 300 meters, stressing that Israel continues to disregard and violate international law, UN resolutions and the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice in July 2004, which called for its removal from all Palestinian territories as it violates international law, which requires the General Assembly and the Security Council to consider any further measures to end the illegal status of the wall that deprives Palestinians of access to their lands.
The conference called on Arab and Islamic countries to provide the necessary support to the United Nations Office for the Registration of Damage Resulting from the Apartheid Wall, to enable it to continue carrying out its tasks.
He also warned of the seriousness of the results of the settlement conference held on the borders of the Gaza Strip in October 2024 under the title "Preparing to Resettle Gaza" and stressed that the outcomes of this conference reflect the tendencies of the Israeli occupation government to implement the crime of displacement and ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people. The conference warned of the measures taken by the occupation government to implement the plan to annex the West Bank under Israeli sovereignty, which was approved in July 2024, including withdrawing enforcement powers from the Palestinian National Authority in some areas classified as (B) and initiating procedures to demolish the growing Palestinian construction in that area and seizing 12.7 square kilometers of land in the Jordan Valley and converting it into state land. He considered these measures a coup against the Oslo Accords and a dangerous escalation to consolidate the occupation, calling on the international community to intervene to stop settlement expansion operations and implement Security Council Resolution 2334 issued in 2016.
The conference welcomed the US Treasury Department's announcement of imposing sanctions on the Israeli organization (Amana) and its subsidiary company for financing and supporting settlement activities and individuals involved in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
It condemned the occupation government's continued support and arming of settler militias under the name of pastoral settlement, calling on the United Nations to ensure the protection of Palestinian civilians from settler attacks and to hold Israel accountable for its crimes and to prosecute settlers involved in attacks on the Palestinian people.
The conference also condemned the continued crimes of genocide committed by the occupation in the Gaza Strip, which resulted in more than 144,000 martyrs and wounded, in addition to more than 11,000 missing persons, and the use of physical and psychological torture, starvation crimes and sexual assaults against Palestinian prisoners, as well as the deliberate targeting of no less than 206 archaeological and historical sites in the Gaza Strip.
He called on the Security Council to assume its responsibilities towards stopping the genocidal war waged by Israel against the Gaza Strip in implementation of its resolution 2735 issued on 10 June 2024, and to stop the Israeli military aggression in the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, and to secure international protection for the Palestinian people.
He called for the implementation of the UN General Assembly resolution issued in September 2024 regarding the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice issued in July 2024 and obligating Israel, the occupying power, to end its occupation and illegal presence on the land of the State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital within 12 months of the issuance of the resolution, and demanded the imposition of sanctions on Israel in the event of its failure to implement the General Assembly resolution.
He also called for supporting and backing Palestine's vision for the so-called day after the end of the war in the Gaza Strip, which was presented by His Excellency President Mahmoud Abbas during his speech at the 79th session of the General Assembly in September 2024, which included 12 items starting with stopping the aggression in Gaza and the West Bank and protecting the Palestinian people and UNRWA, leading to the extension of the authority of the State of Palestine over the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
He condemned the targeting of Palestinian camps in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and Syria by the Israeli occupation forces, which has caused the destruction of infrastructure, water and sewage networks, and its effective institutions, especially in the Gaza Strip, whose camps have been subjected to total and systematic destruction, and thousands of Palestinian refugees have been martyred and tens of thousands wounded, through the destruction of homes, roads, infrastructure, shelters, clinics, schools, and UNRWA supply centers, with the continuation of the war of extermination and displacement that the occupation government has been waging on Gaza for more than 14 months.
The conference stressed that the Israeli targeting of the camps aims to end the living witness to the ongoing Palestinian Nakba since 1948, and to strip the Palestinian refugees of their refugee status as an entry point to liquidate their just cause and their legitimate right to return to their homes through their settlement or displacement.
It also warned of the difficult living conditions experienced by Palestinian refugees in the Palestinian camps in Lebanon and Syria, which have taken an upward trend due to the political and security developments witnessed in the region and the chronic financial deficit in the UNRWA budget, which has affected the services provided to them.
It called on donor countries to provide sufficient financial support to UNRWA to enable it to develop a recovery plan for the Palestinian camps in Lebanon and Syria, ensuring that the needs of Palestinian refugees are met and protection is provided to them, in light of the developments and events witnessed by Syria and Lebanon in recent weeks.
The conference warned of the danger of the spread of famine, epidemics and diseases that threaten 1.9 million displaced Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, as Israel continues to reduce the number of trucks carrying humanitarian aid to the Strip, and close the crossings and outlets, which amounts to war crimes and crimes against humanity, in flagrant violation of international law and relevant UN resolutions.
The Security Council called on Israel to be held accountable for its crimes, and to oblige it to implement its resolutions, especially Resolution (2720 of December 2023), which calls on Israel to take urgent steps to immediately allow the delivery of humanitarian aid in a broad, safe and unhindered manner.
The recommendations referred to what was stated in Resolution No. 9082 issued by the meeting of the Council of the League at the level of delegates in its extraordinary session regarding the necessary steps to mobilize international support to confront the dangerous illegal laws that the Israeli Knesset passed to ban UNRWA activities, and the call to continue following up on the implementation of the provisions of the resolution.
The conference stressed that UNRWA's reference is the United Nations, which determines the fate of its work, not Israel or any visions issued by individual countries, and that UNRWA is the only international organization responsible for providing services to refugees in its five areas of operation in accordance with its mandate and international authorization granted to it by Resolution 302 and until a political solution is found in accordance with Resolution 194 and the Arab Peace Initiative.
He expressed his categorical rejection of the host countries assuming responsibility for UNRWA's tasks or any new additional burdens, and he also rejected the establishment of any parallel body or alternative international mechanism, and considered that any attempts in this regard constitute a violation of UNRWA's mandate granted to it by Resolution 302, which urges partnerships with international organizations that enhance UNRWA within the framework of its mandate and not as an alternative or on its behalf based on Article 18 of the same resolution.
He condemned the decision of the Israeli Land Authority to seize the land on which the UNRWA headquarters is located in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in occupied Jerusalem, and transform it into a settlement outpost that includes 1,440 housing units, stressing that the decision is an extension of the illegal Israeli measures that aim to undermine UNRWA's existence, mandate, activities and role as an international organization, in flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter and its relevant resolutions.
He called on the international community to assume its responsibilities towards obligating the Israeli occupation to respect the mandate granted to UNRWA by the United Nations General Assembly, provide protection for its facilities and employees, and stop all attacks and illegal measures against it in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2730 of May 2023, which stipulates respecting and protecting humanitarian workers, United Nations employees and associated personnel. He also called on the Commissioner-General of UNRWA to take all legal measures to confront the Israeli decision.
The conference called on the UN Secretary-General to form an independent international investigation committee to hold Israel accountable for its systematic crimes and its direct and deliberate targeting of UNRWA employees and headquarters.
The conference also denounced the Israeli occupation government's hideous exploitation of the innocence of Palestinian children to mislead world public opinion and incite against UNRWA, through the Israeli organization (UN Watch), which specializes in attacking the United Nations and UNRWA, and which recently produced a number of videos by teaching them paragraphs that offend UNRWA and published them on its page, showing Palestinian children, without the presence of their parents, to incite against UNRWA, distort the facts and label it as terrorism.
The conference considered these practices a violation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and a serious violation of national and international laws, including the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Guidelines on Media Skills and Ethics of Child Rights Journalism for the year 2016.
The conference called on the United Nations to blacklist the Israeli organization (UN Watch) and ban its work for exploiting children in the service of fabricated political agendas.
It condemned the campaign of misinformation and incitement led by the Israeli occupation government against UNRWA using commercial advertisements, including billboards in many cities around the world, and paid Google advertisements on multiple websites, including broadcasting hate speech against UNRWA describing it as terrorism, and calling for its dismantling, which caused damage to UNRWA's reputation and image among the peoples of some donor countries, and called on activists on social media platforms to launch a campaign to support UNRWA and highlight its important role in providing basic services to Palestinian refugees.
The conference appreciated the efforts of the Commissioner-General of UNRWA and his team for their tireless efforts to protect UNRWA and its legal mandate and to confront Israeli legislation through his visits to dozens of donor countries and his meetings with European Union countries and their parliaments, UN member states, and high-level officials in Arab countries, informing them of the challenges facing UNRWA, mobilizing financial resources for its budget, and urging UN member states to express their commitment to Palestinian refugees and advocate for their rights until a just solution to their issue is found.
The Commissioner-General was called upon to continue his efforts to mobilize support and advocacy for UNRWA, and to coordinate jointly with host Arab countries and the Arab League in this regard.
The conference also expressed its support for UNRWA's efforts to enhance accountability, governance, management and transparency to maintain its position at the forefront of neutrality, in light of the political and security changes taking place in the region, stressing the importance of UNRWA's coordination with host countries and relevant parties to define concepts, address concerns, and put the implementation of recommendations on the right track that maintains the sustainability and effectiveness of its mandate, basic and emergency programmes, as well as its relations with donors and financial stability.
The conference also expressed its thanks to the donor countries that provided their full financial contributions to UNRWA, the countries that provided additional and flexible funding, and the new donors who provided funding to UNRWA for the first time, and called on the member states of the United Nations General Assembly to support UNRWA financially, by securing a sustainable financial safety net that addresses its chronic financial crisis that its regular and emergency budgets suffer from, to enable it to carry out its duties and services towards refugees according to the mandate granted to it by Resolution 302.
The conference appreciated the efforts of UNRWA, which succeeded with the private sector in raising more than $114 million to support its budget for the year (2024), which contributed to bridging the funding gap, and urged it to move forward in searching for innovative financing methods to mobilize additional financial resources, to secure sustainable funding for its budget.
The conference welcomed the adoption by the UNESCO Executive Board, at its eighth extraordinary session, by an overwhelming majority, of the resolution supporting UNRWA's educational activities in the occupied Palestinian territory issued on 25/11/2024, which affirms UNESCO's commitment to providing education to Palestinian refugees, and the essential role of UNRWA and that it cannot be dispensed with or replaced, and its explicit condemnation of the Israeli crimes of targeting UNRWA schools in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, considering the resolution a victory for the Palestinian cause and a clear and natural response to the illegal Israeli Knesset laws. The conference called on UNRWA to confront the Israeli decisions regarding the evacuation of its headquarters in Jerusalem, and called on diplomatic missions to pay a solidarity visit to its headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah, as a message of support for UNRWA and rejection of the Israeli decision and its illegal legislations.
The conference also expressed its thanks to the donor countries that provided their full financial contributions to UNRWA, the countries that provided additional and flexible funding, and the new donors who provided funding to UNRWA for the first time, and called on the member states of the United Nations General Assembly to support UNRWA financially, by securing a sustainable financial safety net that addresses its chronic financial crisis that its regular and emergency budgets suffer from, to enable it to carry out its duties and services towards refugees according to the mandate granted to it by Resolution 302.
The conference appreciated the efforts of UNRWA, which succeeded with the private sector in raising more than $114 million to support its budget for the year (2024), which contributed to bridging the funding gap, and urged it to move forward in searching for innovative financing methods to mobilize additional financial resources, to secure sustainable funding for its budget.
The conference welcomed the adoption by the UNESCO Executive Board, at its eighth extraordinary session, by an overwhelming majority, of the resolution to support UNRWA’s educational activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, issued on 25/11/2024, which affirms UNESCO’s commitment to providing education to Palestinian refugees, and the essential role of UNRWA and that it cannot be dispensed with or replaced, and its explicit condemnation of the Israeli crimes of targeting UNRWA schools in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, considering the resolution a victory for the Palestinian cause and a clear and natural response to the illegal Israeli Knesset laws.
The conference called on UNRWA to confront the Israeli decisions to evacuate its headquarters in Jerusalem, and called on diplomatic missions to pay a solidarity visit to its headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah, as a message of support for UNRWA and rejection of the Israeli decision and its illegal legislation.
He expressed his appreciation for the signing by 123 member states of the United Nations General Assembly of the Statement of Shared Commitments on UNRWA, and their commitment to supporting the Agency’s ability to fulfill its vital mandate in its areas of operation. He congratulated UNRWA on receiving the 2024 Annual Spirit of Humanity Award from the American Council on Human Rights, confirming that it is one of the “greatest success stories” of the United Nations and the multilateral system.
He also expressed his deep concern about the collapse of the Palestinian economy in all its components and sectors, which declined by 86% in the Gaza Strip and 23% in the West Bank, and the contraction of the Palestinian economy by 26% for the entire year 2024, as well as the levels of poverty, unemployment and food insecurity reaching catastrophic levels, in light of the continued starvation policy practiced by the occupation authorities against the residents of the Gaza Strip, which was greatly reflected in the aggravation of the humanitarian, social and economic conditions.
The conference warned of the seriousness of the financial situation of the Palestinian government in light of the financial deficit suffered by its treasury as a result of the sharp decline in aid, the accumulation of debts from the private sector and the pension fund, and local borrowing, in addition to the occupation authorities’ continued deduction of Palestinian tax funds (clearance), which constituted an obstacle to the wheel of development and prevented it from paying the salaries of its employees in full and regularly. It renewed its call to activate the decision approved at the Baghdad Summit in 2012 to provide a financial safety net for the Palestinian Authority in the amount of $100 million per month. It also called on the international community to pressure the Israeli government to stop the piracy of Palestinian tax revenues and return them in full and without reduction.
The conference welcomed the overwhelming vote of the United Nations General Assembly on 12 December 2024 in favour of the two resolutions, the first calling for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and the second affirming the United Nations’ full support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which constitute a victory for UNRWA and for Palestinian rights.
The conference also stressed that the two resolutions are of great importance as they were adopted in an extraordinary emergency session under Resolution 377, which is used exceptionally under the item "Uniting for Peace", after the failure of the UN Security Council in November 2024 to adopt the two projects. The conference called on the Security Council to include the two resolutions under Chapter VII of the UN Charter to force Israel to implement them.
He welcomed the tripartite cooperation mechanism between the League of Arab States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the African Union Commission to support the Palestinian cause, which was adopted on the sidelines of the extraordinary session of the joint Arab-Islamic summit held in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on November 11, 2024, and called for the need to place the refugee issue and UNRWA at the top of its upcoming agenda.
The conference adopted the report and recommendations of the 90th session of the Council of Educational Affairs for the Children of Palestine, which was held on December 12, 2024.
