Date: 23/12/2025
He Stressed the Necessity of Supporting the “Development Endowment Fund” and Securing Sustainable Funding Sources for UNRWA
Member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Head of the Refugee Affairs Department, Dr. Ahmad Abu Holi, briefed the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Eng. Waleed Al-Khuraiji, on the grave developments taking place in the occupied Palestinian territories, including the escalating pace of settlement expansion, forced displacement, and Judaization, in addition to the ongoing genocidal war on the Gaza Strip and the Israeli military aggression against refugee camps in the northern West Bank.
The meeting, held at the headquarters of the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Riyadh and attended by the Ambassador of the State of Palestine to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Eng. Mazen Ghoneim, discussed bilateral relations between the two countries, recent developments on the Palestinian scene, and ways to enhance joint action in a manner that fulfills the aspirations of the brotherly Palestinian people. The meeting also addressed the conditions of Palestinian refugees in the camps and the financial crisis facing UNRWA, as well as ways to reactivate the Development Endowment Fund to support Palestine refugees and UNRWA, which was approved for establishment by the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in March 2019.
Dr. Abu Holi conveyed the greetings of the President of the State of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, and expressed his appreciation for the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in supporting the Palestinian cause, and for its firm and supportive positions in backing the rights of the Palestinian people and their just cause.
He also briefed the Saudi official on the catastrophic humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip as a result of the ongoing Israeli genocidal war, noting that the death toll since October 7, 2023, has exceeded 70,000 martyrs, with more than 171,000 injured, in addition to thousands missing under the rubble.
Dr. Abu Holi reviewed the widespread destruction of infrastructure, hospitals, and schools, and Israel’s violations of the first phase of the recently signed peace plan, through the continued policy of “deliberate starvation” and the prevention of 70% of humanitarian aid, while 90% of the population of the Gaza Strip continues to suffer from repeated forced displacement.
He highlighted the situation of refugees in the eight Palestinian refugee camps in the Gaza Strip, affirming that they have been completely destroyed, including water, sewage, and electricity networks. He pointed out that 1.6 million refugees—particularly in Rafah, Khan Younis, Jabalia, and Al-Shati—have returned to living in rudimentary tents without the most basic necessities of life, relying entirely on UNRWA, which represents their sole lifeline.
During the meeting, Dr. Abu Holi also addressed the details of the ongoing military aggression against refugee camps in the northern West Bank, particularly Operation “Iron Wall,” which has been ongoing since January 21, 2025, targeting the Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams camps, as well as Operation “Five Stones,” which targeted Al-Far’a camp. He explained that this aggression has resulted in the displacement of more than 40,000 citizens, the destruction of infrastructure including water, sewage, electricity, and communications networks, the burning of hundreds of homes and commercial shops, and the direct targeting of UNRWA’s educational and health facilities, with the aim of rendering these camps uninhabitable.
Dr. Abu Holi warned against the conditions imposed by the occupation government for withdrawal from the northern camps, describing them as a “dangerous quid pro quo,” whereby the occupation demands the prevention of any UNRWA activity within the camps, the banning of all political activity, and the imposition of strict security monitoring and screening of displaced persons upon their return. He stressed that these conditions aim to entrench the policy of forced displacement and ethnic cleansing, and to liquidate the refugee issue politically by ending UNRWA’s role.
He reviewed the political and financial challenges facing UNRWA that seek to undermine and terminate its work, stressing the importance of action at all political levels to enable UNRWA to cover the financial deficit in its budget—estimated at USD 200 million to cover the first quarter of 2026—and to ensure the continuity of its mandate and essential services to millions of Palestinian refugees.
Dr. Abu Holi warned of the repercussions of the deficit in UNRWA’s regular budget if left unaddressed, as it directly threatens the basic services provided to Palestinian refugees in its areas of operation, including the closure of 702 schools and the deprivation of 600,000 students of education, the suspension of services in 140 medical clinics, and the closure of 211 relief and social services centers.
He emphasized the necessity of activating the “Development Endowment Fund” to support refugees and UNRWA, which aims to secure sustainable funding sources for the Agency, and to coordinate Arab and Islamic positions in this regard, ahead of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation meetings scheduled for the first half of 2026.
For his part, Ambassador Ghoneim explained that Israel is working to distort facts by naming settlements after the villages built on whose lands they are established, in an attempt to claim that these settlements are the original entities. He also pointed to settlers’ attacks on Palestinian villages and cities, farmers, and agricultural produce, extending to assaults on the homes of peaceful citizens—all under the protection of the Israeli occupation army—with the aim of displacement and the seizure of their property.
He addressed the destruction and displacement taking place in the refugee camps of the northern West Bank, noting that these camps have become disaster-stricken areas beyond the capacity and capabilities of the Palestinian government, especially in light of the severe financial conditions resulting from Israel’s continued withholding of Palestinian funds. Ambassador Ghoneim called on the Kingdom to intervene with institutions active in refugee relief and humanitarian work to provide the necessary assistance and support to these areas, in order to prevent the crisis from worsening in other governorates.
He also stressed the importance of promoting Palestinian culture and heritage to the world through the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which has become a global hub in various fields, including culture, by hosting numerous international conferences and exhibitions. He noted that the occupying state is attempting to steal Palestinian heritage in all its forms—including clothing and food—and attribute it to itself, with the aim of erasing Palestinian identity.
In turn, Eng. Waleed Al-Khuraiji affirmed the Kingdom’s steadfast position in supporting the Palestinian people and the refugee cause, stressing the necessity of providing urgent financial support to UNRWA to ensure the continuity of its vital services, and reiterating the Kingdom’s categorical rejection of policies of displacement and Judaization, as well as all occupation plans aimed at liquidating the rights of the Palestinian people.
