The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates reaffirmed the vital role of the UNRWA in protecting and assisting Palestinian refugees, describing the agency as an irreplaceable lifeline for Gaza and Palestinian refugees throughout the region.
The ministry said UNRWA plays a central role in providing education, healthcare, social protection, and emergency assistance, helping refugees preserve their dignity and improve self-reliance across the Gaza Strip, the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and refugee camps in neighboring host countries.
It stressed that UNRWA was established under an international mandate and remains welcome to continue operating in the State of Palestine, describing the agency as an essential stabilizing force with no viable substitute.
The ministry rejected statements seeking to undermine UNRWA’s role without addressing what it described as the root causes of Palestinian suffering, namely the continuation of the Israeli occupation and the unresolved issue of Palestinian refugees. It reiterated that refugee rights must be upheld in accordance with United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194.
It also rejected terms such as “New Gaza” and “the people of Gaza,” arguing that they fragment Palestinian geography and identity. The ministry emphasized that Palestinians constitute one people across the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the diaspora, and that Gaza remains an inseparable part of the occupied State of Palestine.
The statement recalled that the State of Palestine had welcomed President Donald Trump’s peace initiative and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803. It also welcomed the establishment of the Palestinian Transitional Administrative Committee, which coordinates its work with Robert Serry Mladenov and the Palestinian government’s liaison office.
The ministry stressed that humanitarian aid cannot replace political rights and reaffirmed that sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, belongs to the Palestinian people and their leadership.
It expressed appreciation for continued international support for UNRWA and its renewed mandate until a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian refugee issue is achieved in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions.
The ministry called on all states and institutions to respect UNRWA’s mandate, privileges, and immunities under the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, including protecting the agency’s personnel and facilities.
The statement followed comments by the Peace Council, an international body established under an initiative proposed by the Trump administration, which said there was “no place for UNRWA in the New Gaza” and called for moving beyond what it described as permanent dependence on humanitarian assistance.
It also came after the United States urged donor countries during a session of the United Nations Security Council to halt funding for UNRWA in Gaza and redirect financial support to the Peace Council, arguing that it offers a pathway toward peace and prosperity in the territory.
U.S. representative to the United Nations Jeffrey A. Bartos told the annual UNRWA pledging conference that donors should “break the cycle” of repeatedly funding the agency, arguing that the current approach has failed to deliver sufficient results.
