Date: 10/2/2026
At the invitation of the Refugee Affairs Department of the PLO, its Popular Committees, and the Central Mobilization Office for UNRWA Staff
The Refugee Affairs Department of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), its Popular Committees, and the Central Mobilization Office for UNRWA staff organized a massive national rally in support of the UNRWA, to protect its UN mandate and the rights of its employees, and to denounce the Israeli occupation’s efforts to dismantle the agency. The rally was held under the directives of Dr. Ahmed Abu Holi, member of the PLO Executive Committee and Head of the Refugee Affairs Department.
The rally, held in front of UNRWA’s main operations headquarters in Gaza City under the slogan “UNRWA is a Red Line”, witnessed wide participation from PLO factions, community leaders, Fatah movement cadres, and thousands of refugees. Participants gathered to condemn the occupation’s plans to dismantle the agency while reaffirming their full support for the legitimate demands and job rights of UNRWA employees, as an essential part of preserving the only international witness to the Palestinian refugee issue. They also warned of the severe humanitarian and political repercussions of these plans.
Protesters carried banners and slogans expressing their categorical rejection of all measures and cuts targeting UNRWA, considering them a dangerous step in the political and humanitarian dismantling of the agency, undermining its core role as a living international witness to the Nakba and the forced displacement of the Palestinian people from their lands, villages, and cities occupied in 1948.
Jamal Obeid, a member of Fatah’s leadership, speaking on behalf of Fatah’s Central Committee member and Commissioner-General for Mobilization and Organization in the southern governorates Ahmed Helles, affirmed that the Palestinian people remain steadfast on their land despite aggression, destruction, and blockade. He stressed that Gaza will continue to uphold its national identity and political compass under the umbrella of the PLO and its legitimate leadership.
Obeid emphasized that the demonstration sends a clear message that the Palestinian people remain alive and resilient despite hunger, siege, and policies of displacement and ethnic cleansing. He affirmed that the massive crowds reflect Palestinians’ firm adherence to their national rights and rejection of any attempts to dismantle the refugee issue or undermine UNRWA’s role as an international witness to their suffering.
He held the international community fully responsible for the consequences of targeting the agency, stating that international silence constitutes indirect complicity in attempts to undermine its humanitarian and political role. He called on the United Nations to intervene urgently to halt measures against UNRWA staff and secure sustainable operational budgets free from political conditions.
Fatah also reaffirmed its full support for UNRWA employees and their legitimate causes, stressing that targeting the agency is not limited to financial or employment matters, but is part of a broader political context aimed at the refugee issue and their historical rights.
Dr. Adel Mansour, Director General of Camps in the southern governorates, speaking on behalf of the Head of the Refugee Affairs Department, Dr. Ahmed Abu Holi, stated that UNRWA represents the legal, political, and humanitarian framework of the Palestinian refugee issue. He emphasized that any interference with the agency is a direct attack on the rights of millions guaranteed by international resolutions.
He added that defending the agency and protecting its mandate under UN Resolution 302 is not a luxury, but a defense of the refugees’ right to a dignified life and of the humanitarian justice for which UNRWA is the sole international witness.
Mansour also stressed that UNRWA employees are not mere job numbers but are an integral part of the refugees’ right to service and protection.
He called on Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini to reverse his austerity decisions, particularly regarding employees who were forced to leave Gaza due to the bombing, affirming that protecting their job security is protecting the essence of the UN mandate.
Mansour warned of the danger posed by the agency’s recent decisions, affirming the department’s categorical rejection of mass layoffs, punitive employment measures, salary cuts, reduced working hours, and the move towards privatizing the security section, which threatens the livelihoods of thousands of Palestinian families and weakens the humanitarian protection system.
He called on the international community to act urgently to protect UNRWA’s mandate and provide financial and political support to ensure the continuity of its services. He also urged unions across the five regions to prioritize the public interest and adopt dialogue as a safeguard for crisis management, emphasizing that a united popular and union stance is the real support in confronting the existential challenges facing the refugee issue.
Shawqi Khalla, Head of the Central Mobilization Office for UNRWA Employees, firmly rejected the series of recent decisions issued by the agency’s Commissioner-General, demanding their immediate reversal to protect employees’ acquired rights.
Khalla stressed that the Mobilization Office serves as a solid protective wall alongside employees in their legitimate struggle to defend their job security and professional dignity, expressing deep appreciation for Dr. Ahmed Abu Holi’s support of employee demands and his wise leadership in intensive mediation efforts to resolve the ongoing crisis between the employees’ union and UNRWA management, continuously seeking solutions that ensure the stability of the UN agency and the rights of its staff.
Participants called on the international community, particularly the United Nations, to fulfill their legal and moral responsibilities regarding the continued operation of UNRWA without restrictions or political conditions, and to provide sustainable funding to maintain its essential services.
They affirmed that defending UNRWA is defending the inalienable right of return, and that refugees will not accept any alternatives or solutions that diminish their historical rights. UNRWA will remain a symbol of memory until justice is achieved and refugees return to their homes.
