QALQILIA, November 10, 2026 (WAFA) – Palestinians protested on Tuesday the UN Palestinian Refugees Agency’s decision to close its hospital in the occupied West Bank city of Qalqilya, according to a representative of Qalqilya Governor.
Mohammad Khader said that representatives of official institutions, the Popular Committee for Refugee Services along with the local community held a protest at the courtyard of the UNRWA-run hospital, rejecting the Agency’s decision to close the hospital or cut back on its services and demanding that the decision be reversed.
He stressed that the hospital is a vital healthcare and humanitarian institution that has been serving refugees since 1951, adding that preserving the hospital and ensuring the continuation of its operations is an irrevocable responsibility that cannot be abandoned on any financial or administrative grounds.
Abdul Rahim Jabr, head of the Popular Committee for Refugee Services, called on UNRWA administration to reverse the closure measures, reopen the internal medicine and maternity departments, and safeguard employees' rights and job security. He stressed that healthcare services are an inherent right of refugees, not a favor granted by anyone, adding that peaceful actions and protests will continue until these demands are met and the continued provision of services is guaranteed.
Established in 1951, the UNRWA-run hospital in Qalqilia has a capacity of 63 beds and serves more than 17,000 refugee families in the governorate.
The Agency’s administration had previously closed the internal medicine department in December 2025 and the maternity department in March 2026, as part of service-reduction measures that affected the hospital and its employees.
K.F.
