Abu Holi Discusses the Situation of Refugees in Jerusalem with UNRWA Operations Director and Shuafat Camp Popular Committee Head
Ramallah – Member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Head of the Refugee Affairs Department, Dr. Ahmad Abu Holi, met with Thair Jaloud, Director of Central West Bank Camps at UNRWA, to discuss the situation of Palestinian refugees in occupied Jerusalem. The meeting was held at the department’s headquarters in Ramallah, with the participation of Mohammad Al-Sheikh, Head of the Popular Committee in Shuafat Camp, and Deputy Head of the Department, Anwar Hammam.
The discussions focused on the escalating developments in Jerusalem and its refugee camps in light of the intensified Israeli campaign targeting the Palestinian presence and international organizations operating in the occupied territories, foremost among them UNRWA. The meeting also addressed the critical implications of withdrawing the exchanged letters between Israel and the United Nations regarding the privileges and immunities granted to UNRWA, which form the legal basis of its mandate under UN Resolution 302.
Dr. Abu Holi stressed that Israel’s measures against UNRWA are part of a systematic plan to undermine its mandate and eliminate its role, paving the way for liquidating the Palestinian refugee issue. He emphasized that UNRWA remains the political and humanitarian witness to the Palestinian Nakba and a reflection of the international responsibility toward refugees and their right of return, as enshrined in UN Resolution 194.
He asserted that UNRWA’s continued operations across all five fields, including Jerusalem—which is an integral part of the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967—is non-negotiable. He warned against being misled by Israeli calls to create alternatives to the agency or transfer its responsibilities to other international bodies or host countries.
Abu Holi firmly rejected all attempts to strip the refugee issue of its political and legal dimensions through targeting UNRWA, reaffirming the Palestinian leadership’s unwavering commitment to the right of return and its rejection of resettlement or displacement.
He commended the continued political and financial support from Arab and international parties for UNRWA, highlighting the necessity of expanding financial channels to sustain its essential services, especially amid the ongoing war crimes and acts of genocide against the Palestinian people, particularly in Gaza and the northern West Bank camps.
In conclusion, Dr. Abu Holi called on the international community to assume its responsibilities toward UN
