Date: July 2, 2026
Deemed It an Attempt to Eliminate the Refugee Issue and a Continuation of the Genocidal War
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The Palestine Liberation Organization's Department of Refugee Affairs on Wednesday condemned the statements issued by the so-called "Peace Council," which claimed that "there is no place for UNRWA in the new Gaza," considering these positions an endorsement of and alignment with the Israeli colonial and racist narrative, an explicit attempt to eliminate the Palestinian refugee issue, and a blatant denial of the legal, political, and moral responsibility borne by the international community toward Palestinian refugees.
Dr. Ahmad Abu Holi, Member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Head of the Department of Refugee Affairs, affirmed that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) will continue to carry out its mandate and provide its vital services to Palestine refugees throughout its five fields of operation, particularly in the devastated and destroyed camps of the Gaza Strip, in accordance with the mandate granted to it under UN General Assembly Resolution 302, as long as a just and comprehensive political solution to the Palestinian question remains stalled and absent.
He explained that the "Peace Council," which was established pursuant to a UN resolution, has no authority to terminate or abolish the existence of a principal UN agency created by a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly. Abu Holi further questioned who had granted the Peace Council such authority.
Abu Holi pointed out that UNRWA's future, mandate, and scope of operations are determined solely by the Member States of the United Nations through the General Assembly, not by the "Peace Council," which was granted specific and exclusive powers under United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803. He stressed that neither the Security Council resolution nor President Trump's plan granted the Peace Council any mandate to end UNRWA's role in the Gaza Strip.
He emphasized that the Agency embodies the international community's moral responsibility and binding legal commitment toward the rights of Palestine refugees until the realization of their sacred right of return and compensation in accordance with UN General Assembly Resolution 194. He asserted that any attempt to undermine or dismantle UNRWA constitutes a direct attack on the Palestinian national identity, a malicious scheme to erase the political and legal status of Palestinian refugees, eliminate the right of return, and align with the illusion of a colonial decisive victory—an agenda that will be firmly confronted by Palestine refugees in the Gaza Strip.
Abu Holi called on the United Nations General Assembly and all UN Member States to assume their historic responsibilities and firmly confront these colonial schemes by providing political and financial protection for UNRWA, upholding the international agreements that guarantee its privileges and immunities, and ensuring respect for the inviolability of its premises throughout the occupied Palestinian territory. He stressed that the will of the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights will defeat all plans aimed at eliminating the refugee cause and forcibly displacing the Palestinian people.
