The Parliamentary Foreign Affairs and Palestine Committees, chaired by Heitham Al-Zyadin and Suleiman Al-Saud, on Thursday met with the Director of UNRWA Affairs in Jordan, Olaf Becker, and the Director General of the Department of Palestinian Affairs, Rafiq Kharfan, to discuss the agency’s role in providing assistance and services to Palestinian refugees.
اضافة اعلان
MPs Al-Saud and Al-Zyadin underscored the humanitarian and political role played by UNRWA in supporting Palestinian refugees, praising Jordan’s efforts—under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II—in defending the Palestinian cause, halting the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, and calling in various international forums for an end to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as the only path to a just and comprehensive peace and to regional security and stability.
They highlighted His Majesty’s continued support for UNRWA to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of its essential services to Palestinian refugees, stressing the need to shed light on the agency’s humanitarian and political role, to stop the systematic smear campaigns waged by the Israeli occupation against it, and to secure sustained financial support enabling UNRWA to carry out its mandate until a just solution to the Palestinian cause is reached.
The two committee chairs reiterated Jordan’s categorical rejection of any infringement on Palestinian rights, as well as its absolute rejection of Israeli legislation targeting UNRWA’s work, urging the international community to intervene urgently to halt these violations and to hold the Israeli government fully responsible for their repercussions on regional security and stability.
They also welcomed the decision of the UN Fourth Committee to renew UNRWA’s mandate until June 2029, describing it as a victory for justice and international law and a vital step to ensure the continued provision of essential services to Palestinian refugees amid worsening humanitarian crises.
For their part, MPs Ahmad Al-Sarahneh, Ayman Abu Al-Rub, Dima Tahboub, Iman Al-Abbasi, Huda Naffa’, and Mohammad Al-Sbaileh emphasized the importance of developing the agency’s services, mobilizing international support across Arab and international parliamentary forums, and increasing financial contributions from donor countries. They stressed the role of the media in conveying the true narrative of the Palestinian people, affirming that Jordan has been and will remain at the forefront of supporters of UNRWA.
They warned that campaigns targeting the agency go beyond the humanitarian dimension and carry serious political implications that threaten regional security and stability.
Becker, in turn, reaffirmed His Majesty the King’s supportive stance toward the Palestinian cause and his continued backing of UNRWA’s operations and financial sustainability, noting that Jordan is among the largest host countries for Palestinian refugees. He reviewed the educational, health, and relief services provided by the agency, as well as the challenges it faces—chief among them global funding shortfalls and politically driven smear campaigns led by the occupation.
Kharfan said the meeting reflects the House of Representatives’ sustained attention to the issues of Palestinian refugees and to UNRWA, which serves as the international umbrella for refugees and a living testament to their displacement and inalienable historical rights.
He noted that UNRWA is facing extremely difficult financial conditions that have affected its ability to continue providing basic services across its areas of operation, including in Jordan—negatively impacting refugees’ lives and futures and threatening the stability of host communities.
Kharfan also warned of an organized political onslaught by the Israeli occupation aimed at undermining the agency’s existence and its international mandate, as part of efforts to liquidate the refugee issue and the right of return through smear campaigns and unfounded accusations.
He added that Jordan, under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II, has firmly confronted this onslaught and played a pivotal role in countering the misleading Israeli narrative and defending UNRWA’s humanitarian and legal mandate. Acting on royal directives, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi has led intensive diplomatic efforts to mobilize political and financial support for the agency and ensure the continuity of its work—safeguarding Palestinian refugees’ rights and bolstering regional stability.
