PARIS, October 19, 2026 (WAFA) – During its 225th session, the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) unanimously adopted two resolutions concerning Palestine. The first addresses the impact of the current situation in the Gaza Strip and Palestine on all areas of UNESCO’s mandate—specifically education, science, culture, communication, and information.
The second focuses on supporting the continuity of educational activities carried out by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Adel Atieh, Permanent Delegate of the State of Palestine to UNESCO, welcomed the unanimous adoption of both resolutions, expressing the State of Palestine’s appreciation for the efforts of the member states and the organization’s secretariat.
Furthermore, Ambassador Atieh highlighted the consequences of the unprecedented genocide being perpetrated by the occupying power against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip—a territory subjected to 200 million kilograms of explosives.
In his address to the Executive Board, Ambassador Atieh underscored the atrocity of the crimes committed against children and the educational process. He cited the tragedy of a mother, Alaa Al-Qatrawi—who was present at the Executive Board session—whose four children, all under the age of eight, were killed by the occupying power in their home in Khan Yunis; she was denied the chance to bid them farewell or bury them.
He also recounted the killing of a seven-year-old student, Misk Al-Dalou, who was shot by an Israeli sniper while sitting at her desk inside an educational tent in Gaza.
Attiya warned of the dangers of targeting UNRWA, asserting that the destruction of its services constitutes a direct war waged by the occupying power against education and international institutions operating in Palestine, with the aim of depriving Palestinian refugees of a vital lifeline.
K.T
