RAMALLAH, July 1, 2026 (WAFA) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates on Wednesday expressed rejection of the Board of Peace's statements diminishing the role of the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
The Ministry stressed the importance of UNRWA’s role in protecting and assisting Palestine refugees, as well as in providing education, healthcare, social protection and emergency assistance in a manner that promotes refugees' self-reliance and preserves their dignity wherever they are, whether in the Gaza Strip, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in refugee camps in neighboring host countries.
The Ministry noted that UNRWA was established pursuant to an international mandate with a clear mission, and called on the Agency to continue its operations in the Occupied Territory, describing it as a lifeline, irreplaceable, and a key factor for stability.
The Ministry also expressed its rejection of any statements that seek to diminish UNRWA's role without addressing the root causes of the suffering inflicted on Palestine refugees and the Palestinian people, namely ending Israel's prolonged colonial occupation and realizing the Palestinian people’s inalienable rights, most notably the Palestinian refugees’ rights as per UNGA Resolution 194.
The Ministry further rejected all terminology aimed at fragmenting Palestinian Territory, including the term "New Gaza," which seeks to isolate the Gaza Strip from its natural surroundings, as well as the term "the people of Gaza." It stressed that the Palestinian people are one people in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the diaspora, and affirmed that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the occupied territory of the State of Palestine.
At the same time, the Ministry recalled that the State of Palestine had welcomed President Trump's plan and UNSC Resolution 2803. It also welcomed the establishment of the Palestinian Transitional Administrative Committee, which coordinates its work with Mladenov and the Liaison Office of the Palestinian government.
The Ministry called on all states, institutions and entities to respect UNRWA's mandate, privileges and immunities under the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, which obliges UN member states to protect the Agency and respect the inviolability of its premises, including in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace posted on X: “UNRWA has no place in the new Gaza. We are turning the page on the complex of perpetual aid dependency & conflict. The people of Gaza deserve better.”
K.F.
