Saturday 31/5/2025
Dr. Ahmed Abu Houli, member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Head of the Refugee Affairs Department, met with Amnesty International – Morocco. The interactive meeting was organized in cooperation with the Embassy of the State of Palestine in the Kingdom of Morocco, and was attended by staff and volunteers from Amnesty International, human rights activists, humanitarian workers, and grassroots activists from Morocco.
Dr. Abu Houli provided participants with a comprehensive briefing on the latest developments in the occupied Palestinian territories, especially regarding the ongoing genocide, attempts at forced displacement, destruction of refugee camps, denial of food and water, and targeting of UNRWA.
Dr. Abu Houli stated that the crimes committed by the Israeli occupation forces in the Gaza Strip have surpassed imagination, utilizing all forms of killing, destruction, starvation, and thirst as part of a grand plan aimed at eliminating the Palestinian cause and implementing a scheme of forced displacement beyond the borders of Palestine.
He stressed that the Palestinian people have thwarted dozens of resettlement and displacement plans that attempted to bypass Palestinian rights, thanks to their steadfastness and deep belief in their rights, which are part of the human rights system and do not expire with time.
Dr. Abu Houli also gave an extensive presentation on the targeting of UNRWA, highlighting that as an international agency, it represents global recognition of the existence and continuity of the refugee issue. Thus, Israel seeks to undermine the legal foundations of refugee rights, particularly UN Resolution 302 which established UNRWA, and Resolution 194 which affirms the right of return.
He discussed the serious consequences that would result from targeting UNRWA, especially in terms of education, healthcare, social services, and regional stability.
For his part, Anwar Hammam, Deputy Head of the Refugee Affairs Department, stated that the conceptual framework surrounding the Palestinian Nakba must be clearly defined, particularly the terms: Nakba, camp, refugee, and forced displacement. He emphasized that the Nakba is an ongoing historical process that has been manufactured and reproduced since the Balfour Declaration to the present day. He explained that the refugee camp represents a social, political, and resistance entity in which the Palestinian society was rebuilt after its attempted destruction in 1948.
Regarding the concept of the camp, he asserted that current targeting of the camps and UNRWA aims to alter the status and definition of the refugee through attempts at redefinition. Hammam also warned of the use of the term “voluntary migration” promoted by Israel, stressing that what is happening is in fact forced displacement by military force, and it is well documented.
From her side, Ghada Al-Tirawi, Senior Advisor at the Embassy of Palestine in the Kingdom of Morocco, stated that this meeting is part of a series of events and meetings held in partnership with the Refugee Affairs Department and a broad range of Moroccan institutions on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of the Nakba. She emphasized the importance of mobilization at the popular, official, and human rights levels to expand solidarity with the rights of the Palestinian people and to support their steadfastness.
