Date: 16/1/2026
He commended the Academy’s pivotal role and its principled stance in supporting the Palestinian cause, Palestinian refugees, and UNRWA.
The fatwa will contribute to sustaining the vital humanitarian work provided by UNRWA to millions of Palestinian refugees.
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Member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Head of the Department of Refugee Affairs, Dr. Ahmad Abu Holi, welcomed the Sharia fatwa issued by the International Islamic Fiqh Academy affiliated with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which permits the payment of zakat, alms, and donations to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
In a press statement issued today (Wednesday), Abu Holi affirmed that this fatwa represents a strong religious endorsement that enhances the steadfastness of the Palestinian people and contributes to supporting the continuity of the vital humanitarian services provided by UNRWA to millions of Palestinian refugees, whose number exceeds 6.2 million refugees across its five fields of operation.
Abu Holi explained that the issuance of the fatwa came in response to a request submitted by a delegation from the Department of Refugee Affairs, headed by himself, during their meeting with the Secretary-General of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy, Dr. Qutb Sano, in Jeddah in December 2025.
He praised the pivotal role of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy and its authentic and principled position in supporting the Palestinian cause, Palestinian refugees, and UNRWA, particularly in light of the challenges facing the Agency as a result of systematic Israeli campaigns aimed at undermining its mandate and terminating its operations.
Abu Holi called on the Secretary-General of the Academy to circulate the fatwa to all member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and to address their ministries of religious endowments and religious affairs to adopt and disseminate the fatwa, and to urge Islamic peoples and zakat institutions to direct their contributions toward supporting UNRWA, thereby ensuring the continuity of its vital services under the current circumstances.
He further stressed the need for the Academy to take the necessary steps to proceed with convening and hosting the “Global Seminar” before the upcoming month of Ramadan, which aims to put this fatwa into practical implementation and to entrench it in the collective consciousness of the الأمة (Islamic nation), as an effective mechanism to secure sustainable financial support for UNRWA, enabling it to meet the basic needs of refugees.
Abu Holi also called on Islamic states, their peoples, and charitable institutions to positively engage with the Sharia fatwa and to allocate a portion of their zakat and charitable donations to support UNRWA and its relief, educational, and health programs, particularly in light of the catastrophic humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip and the escalating crises across UNRWA’s five fields of operation.
