Date: July 29, 2025
Dr. Ahmad Abu Houli, member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and head of the Refugee Affairs Department, held a meeting—via Zoom today with Roland Friedrich, UNRWA’s Director of Operations for the northern governorates. They discussed conditions of Palestinian refugees in the camps and operational challenges facing UNRWA in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The meeting addressed how UNRWA’s financial crisis is affecting its emergency interventions to meet humanitarian needs, especially as Israeli military operations continue in refugee camps in the northern West Bank that began earlier this year.
Dr. Abu Houli called upon UNRWA to establish and solidify its field presence and to assume full responsibilities toward the refugees amid the ongoing Israeli military aggression against West Bank camps. He emphasized the need for UNRWA to resume services in the northern West Bank camps once Israeli forces withdraw.
He stated that the Israeli occupation, through its attacks on northern West Bank camps and targeting of UNRWA facilities, aims to undermine UNRWA’s mandate, paralyze its operations in the West Bank and Jerusalem, and prevent it from providing services to Palestinian refugees—a deliberate part of a plan to gradually dismantle UNRWA’s work, with the recent Israeli laws being one of the tools employed.
Dr. Abu Houli called for the return of international staff and the preservation of UNRWA facilities in Jerusalem, so that the agency can continue providing services in education, health, sanitation, and social welfare. He emphasized that Palestinians should not submit to Israeli decisions, nor should anyone seek alternatives to UNRWA or fill the void resulting from Israeli laws. He warned that banning UNRWA’s operations in Jerusalem would embolden Israel to gradually extend its restrictions to other areas and camps according to a calculated, rolling plan.
He affirmed that protecting UNRWA’s mandate across its five areas of operation (Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza, and the West Bank including East Jerusalem)—and enabling its continued service pursuant to UN General Assembly Resolution 302 (IV) of December 8, 1949, until a political solution to the Palestinian refugee issue per UNGA Resolution 194 is achieved—is a collective responsibility of all UN member states
Dr. Ahmad Abu Houli emphasized the vital and irreplaceable role of UNRWA in serving millions of Palestinian refugees. He pointed out that the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) strongly rejects any transfer of UNRWA’s responsibilities to host governments or other international bodies.
He urged UNRWA to provide rental assistance to more than 8,700 families forcibly displaced from their homes under Israeli military threat in refugee camps in northern West Bank, and to deliver emergency services to those families—stressing that this is a core responsibility of UNRWA. He also called for UNRWA to develop a recovery and rehabilitation plan for the refugee camps in that area.
Dr. Abu Houli categorically rejected exploring alternatives to UNRWA in East Jerusalem, especially after the Israeli authorities closed its main headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah and shut down six of its schools in the city. He emphasized that no alternative should replace UNRWA, and that the focus must remain solely on empowering the agency to fulfill its mandate under UNGA Resolution 302, and to counter Israeli laws and mitigate their impact.
He reaffirmed that the PLO is committed to UNRWA’s continued presence and operations, rejecting Israeli conditions that aim to prevent UNRWA from operating after the withdrawal from camps in the northern West Bank.
Dr. Abu Houli pointed out that the closure of UNRWA schools in East Jerusalem is not the end of the road, nor should it mean compliance with Israeli laws. He emphasized the importance of finding solutions to protect the education of approximately 800 students who were studying in the six schools, noting that this is a responsibility UNRWA should confront by devising ways to continue operations in East Jerusalem and maintain its educational, health, and relief services.
He questioned: “What is UNRWA’s role after transferring its schools to the Awqaf (Endowment Authority)? Who will cover the operational expenses, and what is the fate of UNRWA staff?” — calling on UNRWA to find means to preserve its workforce, including by enhancing remote work capabilities.
He also stressed the importance of UNRWA holding a meeting with activists from Shuafat camp to discuss how to address the Israeli decision to close three schools in the camp and to hear their views regarding their children's education.
Dr. Abu Houli referred to the recommendations issued by the 113th Conference of Supervisors of Palestinian Refugee Affairs in Arab Host Countries, held from July 24–27, 2025, in Cairo. He emphasized that the conference reaffirmed UNRWA’s vital and irreplaceable role in serving millions of Palestinian refugees across its five areas of operation, and urged collective mobilization by member states to secure financial resources to bridge the agency’s funding gap and confront its political, operational, and financial challenges.
On his part, Roland Friedrich, UNRWA’s Director for Operations in the West Bank, reiterated the agency’s unwavering commitment to continue providing services to Palestinian refugees until the end. He confirmed that UNRWA will not suspend services nor transfer its facilities to any Israeli entity. Friedrich underscored the need to preserve UNRWA’s premises and adopt a “strategy of patience and resilience”, while calling for ongoing workshops and dialogues with international organizations and donors.
He further clarified that UNRWA’s priorities include safeguarding its facilities and land in occupied East Jerusalem and resuming services after the Israeli withdrawal from northern West Bank refugee camps. At the same time, he noted a significant challenge: Israeli authorities require that UNRWA not return to the camps once they withdraw, effectively blocking the agency’s ability to resume operations.
Dr. Abu Houli explained that rehabilitating the refugee camps in the northern West Bank requires funders and financial support to resume services, repair UNRWA facilities, and rebuild what was destroyed by the Israeli occupation. He emphasized the importance of coordinating with the Refugee Affairs Department to overcome these challenges, which are obstructing UNRWA’s operations in the camps.
Roland Friedrich confirmed that services at the Al-Zawiya Hindi clinic in Jerusalem remain operational, and that UNRWA continues to deliver services in Shuafat camp despite the financial crisis. He noted concerns regarding 150 students in Shuafat camp: these students risk losing their residency status if they receive education outside the camp. UNRWA is exploring mechanisms to ensure continuity of their education. Friedrich emphasized that UNRWA will continue its essential and emergency services in West Bank camps, adhering to its mandate until a fair solution to the refugee issue is found.
He added that UNRWA is finding it difficult to reopen its six schools in East Jerusalem that were closed by Israeli authorities, due to Israeli pursuit of UNRWA staff and teachers.
He pointed out that the Jerusalem Municipality and the Israeli Ministry of Education are offering significant incentives to encourage students to move to municipal schools that teach the Israeli curriculum, thus undermining Palestinian education. At the same time, UNRWA is being encouraged to transfer its schools under the supervision of the Islamic Awqaf Authority in Jerusalem, which currently oversees 58 schools.
Roland Friedrich warned about the serious threat posed by the Israeli Ministry of Energy’s demand to cut off water and electricity to UNRWA facilities in Jerusalem, and raised concerns that such measures could extend to facilities outside the city.
He also referred to attempts by Israeli authorities to seize UNRWA land and property in Sheikh Jarrah and Qalandiya. He noted these actions follow a coordinated, gradual, and planned strategy. Thanks to interventions by the Refugee Affairs Department, the Jerusalem Governorate, UNRWA, and local committees, no land grabs or takeovers have succeeded to date.
