Date: 5/2/2026
In Appreciation of the Efforts of the Lebanese–Palestinian Dialogue Committee
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Dr. Ahmad Abu Holi, member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Head of the Department of Refugee Affairs, praised the decision issued by the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health to grant permits to practice the nursing profession to male and female Palestinian refugee nurses residing in Lebanon.
Dr. Abu Holi expressed the Department’s deep appreciation to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, the Order of Nurses, and all relevant stakeholders who supported this demand, affirming that this decision constitutes a humanitarian and legal response that will positively reflect on improving the professional and living conditions of hundreds of Palestinian professionals. He noted that it will also contribute effectively to alleviating the severity of the economic crises faced by our people in the refugee camps.
He highly commended the diligent and appreciated efforts exerted by the Lebanese–Palestinian Dialogue Committee, headed by Ambassador Dr. Ramez Dimashkieh, and its Executive Director, Nadine Marrouk, as well as their continuous coordination with official Lebanese authorities—particularly the Ministry of Public Health and the Order of Nurses—to achieve this accomplishment. This achievement will help ease living hardships within the camps and open wide professional horizons for newly graduated nurses.
Abu Holi called on the Lebanese–Palestinian Dialogue Committee to continue its pioneering role in completing the process of addressing remaining legal challenges, and to urge the relevant ministries to grant Palestinian refugees their civil and social rights to practice other liberal professions, foremost among them medicine, engineering, law, and other specialized professions. He reaffirmed the PLO’s commitment to full coordination with the Lebanese state to enhance the stability of the refugee community and to develop its capacities in service of national causes.
He explained that this legal breakthrough comes as a continuation of the path established by the recent visit of His Excellency President Mahmoud Abbas to Beirut, and represents a genuine implementation of the joint presidential statement, which emphasized the necessity of providing decent living conditions for Palestinian refugees under the framework of Lebanese sovereignty and law, while preserving their national identity and their historic right of return to their homeland in accordance with international resolutions.
Abu Holi stressed the continuation of coordination with all official Lebanese authorities to enhance the social rights of refugees, in a manner that ensures the stability of the camp community and the integration of national efforts to confront the challenges of displacement until the achievement of a just and comprehensive solution.
