Date: 7/12/2025
- He called on UN member states to translate the commitment contained in the New York Declaration and its annexes into tangible reality.
- He emphasized that the Gaza administration committee must be linked to the legitimate Palestinian government.
- The absence of a policy of deterrence and punishment has encouraged the occupying government to continue its crimes and violations of international norms and laws.
- He stressed that any international supervision or presence in the Gaza Strip must have the mission of maintaining peace and protecting Palestinian civilians.
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The 114th session of the Conference of Supervisors of Palestinian Refugee Affairs in Arab Host Countries commenced today, Sunday, at the headquarters of the League of Arab States in Cairo. Official delegations from member states are participating, along with representatives from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO).
In his opening remarks, Ahmed Abu Holi, member of the PLO Executive Committee and head of the Refugee Affairs Department, conveyed President Mahmoud Abbas's greetings to the participants, emphasizing that the conference was being held amidst an unprecedented Israeli escalation, manifested in a genocidal war targeting the Palestinian people and directly impacting refugee camps, refugees, and UNRWA.
Abu Holi noted that the conference was taking place two years after the devastating aggression against Gaza, which left thousands dead and wounded and caused widespread destruction. He added that Israel continues to obstruct recovery efforts, persisting in its policy of genocide and deliberate starvation, thus exacerbating the humanitarian catastrophe, all under a disturbing international silence that is no less dangerous than the act itself.
He added: “Since the ceasefire began on October 10, Israel, the occupying power, has killed 356 Palestinians, including 120 children, and injured 908 others, in flagrant violation of the first phase of the 20-point peace plan, which stipulates a complete cessation of hostilities by both sides. It also continues its policy of genocide by refusing to implement the clause lifting the siege and is implementing a deliberate policy of starvation by preventing 70% of the agreed-upon aid and controlling the type of food allowed to enter.”
He pointed out that the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Jerusalem are facing unprecedented Israeli terrorism, with the Israeli occupation government giving free rein to its soldiers to carry out extrajudicial killings, demolish homes, and build and expand settlements in the territories occupied in 1967. This is being done through the approval of thousands of settlement units and the confiscation of thousands of dunams in Area C to impose its sovereignty over the West Bank. Furthermore, settlers are being given free rein to attack civilians and their property, prevent farmers from accessing their lands, and destroy their crops. Their fields were destroyed, olive trees were burned and uprooted during the harvest season, and the policy of arresting and detaining our people continues, along with the policy of extending their administrative detention without trial.
Abu Holi explained that international reports confirmed that the olive harvest season in the occupied Palestinian territories witnessed the highest level of settler attacks in five years this year. He pointed out that the occupation government continues its internationally condemned forced displacement and ethnic cleansing operations, which have resulted in the forced displacement of more than 6,463 citizens due to the demolition of their homes and residences, and another 40,000 from the Jenin, Tulkarm, Nur Shams, and Al-Far'a camps in the northern West Bank due to military incursions, in addition to more than 2,200 due to settler attacks.
He indicated that the occupying power seeks to impose a fait accompli policy on our people in the city of Jerusalem and to change the historical and legal status of the holy sites. Islamic and Christian sites, especially the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound,
Abu Holi emphasized that the absence of a policy of deterrence and punishment has emboldened the Israeli occupation government to continue its crimes and violations of international norms and laws, including international humanitarian law. He noted its disregard for recent Security Council resolutions issued after October 7, 2023, and its failure to comply with Security Council Resolution 2803, adopted on November 17, 2025, which endorsed a comprehensive plan to end the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
He stressed that Israel's deliberate disregard for international legitimacy confirms that diplomatic frameworks alone are insufficient and must be accompanied by strict international accountability through the imposition of deterrent sanctions to end impunity.
In his address, Abu Holi affirmed the State of Palestine's support for efforts to solidify the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, its support for the Arab plan for the reconstruction of the Strip, and its commitment to mobilizing international support for the recovery conference scheduled to be held in Cairo. He stressed the necessity for all countries and parties committed to the two-state solution to join forces to translate the commitments outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 2803, issued on November 17, 2015, and the New York Declaration into tangible reality, and to create the conditions for the Palestinian National Authority to resume its responsibilities in the Gaza Strip.
He affirmed that any international supervision or presence in the Gaza Strip must have the primary mission of "maintaining peace, not imposing it, and protecting Palestinian civilians, with the consent of the State of Palestine, which holds legitimate jurisdiction over all Palestinian territories. This presence should support the Palestinian Authority's efforts to extend its sovereignty and manage the affairs of its citizens, and not be a substitute for it or a cover for any separatist reality." He emphasized the unity of Palestinian land and its indivisibility, and reiterated that the Gaza administration committee must be linked to the legitimate Palestinian government, as adopted by the Arab and Islamic summits.
Abu Holi stressed the necessity of joint coordination and the formulation of a unified Arab position on all critical issues. He called for support for the Palestinian people and their political struggle to regain their legitimate rights to return and self-determination, and to establish a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
He also emphasized the importance of providing further support and empowerment to Palestinian refugees to confront the challenges they face.
